Give Me Your Eyes
by WritePassion
Summary: A serious car accident leaves Fiona in a situation where she needs to rely on Sam. Can she trust him enough to get her through? Then Sam finds himself in need of guidance that comes from a most unexpected source. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

**Give Me Your Eyes**

By WritePassion

_It was supposed to be a simple job. Just a little something to tide us over until Mike got back. So how did it get so complicated?_

Sam should have known that getting together with Fiona Glenanne for a "simple" case would be a mistake. Nothing with her was ever easy. Just look at her relationship with Michael. If it were her and Sam, not that it ever would be!, but if it were, he would have loved her and held on tight, maybe even married her, instead of continuing to hop around the globe at the CIA's beck and call. But he wasn't Michael. He was just the trusty friend and sidekick who had a knack for intelligence gathering, but when it came to bits of wisdom, no one listened. As a result, Michael was gone again on another mission, and he and Fi were left to fend for themselves. The case, on the outside, seemed like a simple fraud that turned into something much more serious. They now found themselves going after the two men responsible for a series of jewelry heists used to finance their other operations. Best case scenario, they got their client's property back. Worst case scenario...he didn't even want to think about that. Success was the only option.

Fiona raced through the back streets of Miami with Sam riding beside her. She took another turn too tight for his taste, going close to highway speeds down the straight roads and decelerating rapidly to make the corners. Their quarry, a late model black BMW kept two car lengths ahead. Somehow, Fiona managed to stay with them. The driver took a sharp left and Fi followed, slamming her companion into the door.

"Ow! That's gonna leave a bruise, sister!" Sam closed his eyes as the car ahead ran a stop sign. Fiona never slowed down. He glanced at her. "Was it something I said? Are you mad at me? Are you trying to kill me?"

"I'm trying to catch these thieves and get our client's inventory back." Fiona ground the words out between clenched teeth. "So shut up! You're distracting me, Sam!"

"You installed the tracker. Maybe we should just back off and catch up to them later."

"What's the matter? Chicken?" She turned the wheel sharply and they careened onto a road that angled the one they had been on. Doing close to a one-eighty, Sam thought he would have been safer as a passenger in a jet fighter than Fiona's little sports car.

"No. I just value my life a little more than you do, obviously. Fi, look out!"

A car with the right of way nearly t-boned them on Sam's side, but she was going fast enough to slip by. The driver blared his horn. It was a good thing they were conducting this chase so late at night, but if she kept it up, they would soon be on a boulevard that was busy no matter what time of day.

"Fi, back off! Shut this down, now!"

"No! Just a little more..." The light ahead turned red just as the BMW skidded through.

"Fi!" Sam stuck his foot over onto her side and circumvented hers to jam on the brake.

"Sam!" Fiona moved his foot with hers to finish braking. But she wasn't able to stop in a conventional way.

The sports car skidded through the intersection, miraculously finding a niche between two cars going in opposite directions. But a third car came too close. Fiona steered around it, sending her car into an uncontrollable spin. The pavement was wet from a light rain that mixed with the oil and grit from regular traffic to create a condition not unlike braking on black ice. Sam held onto his seat, clamped his eyes shut, and waited for the impact.

With a squeal, a crunch, and the tinkling of glass, the car stopped abruptly. The front end buried itself under the back end of a parked car. The centrifugal force whipped Sam into the door and his arm, that he instinctively held up, impacted with the window. He had no idea what happened after that, because he was unconscious.

"Sam." Fiona moaned his name. Her whole body felt like one massive pain. "Sam, are you okay? Sam, where are you? Sam! Don't leave me!" She screamed but he didn't respond, and then she too found refuge in oblivion.

* * *

Sam blinked at the bright lights overhead, broken up by heads leaning over, staring at him, poking and prodding.

"What the...where am I?"

"You're in the emergency room, Mr. Axe." An even brighter light shone in his eyes. His instinct was to bat it away, but he had the sense to just let the doctor do his job.

"Where's Fi?"

"She's in the cubicle next to us. The doctors are taking good care of her too, don't worry." The intern paused and tapped something on a tablet. "Is there anyone we can call for you?"

Sam wanted to say Mike. But he was in Central America somewhere. Take your pick where, because as far as things went, Sam shouldn't have even known that much. He blinked away the fuzziness. Jesse? No, he was with Mike. "Yeah. Call Madelyn Westen." He gave the intern her number, and at first he felt guilty for the call that would wake her at far too early an hour. But if it didn't, no doubt she would ream him up one end and down the other if she had to find out about the accident in the newspaper, rather than from Fiona or him.

"We'll have someone contact her. Is she family?"

"Uh...about as close to family as you're gonna get," Sam replied. A warm feeling rose up inside him It was true. Maddie had been a surrogate mom for their little band for years now. It didn't completely make up for what he missed, but it was pretty close.

"We're sending you up for x-rays now, Mr. Axe. Then they'll be setting you up in a room, and the doctor will come by later and give you the results. Okay?"

"No, it's not okay. I want to go home." Not that his tiny new apartment was really home. It was a place to lay his head and store his stuff. It's just that it would have been far more comfortable at that moment than the gurney with its thin mattress and scratchy sheet that smelled like bleach.

The doctor shook his head. "Sorry, Mr. Axe. You're going to be a guest here for at least a couple of days. We want to keep an eye on you, make sure you didn't suffer any injuries that aren't immediately apparent."

Sam fell silent. He knew the doctor was right, but that didn't mean that he had to be okay with it. He closed his eyes and let them roll him to radiology, and then they took him to a room. He was able to convince the orderly to let him change by himself, but the big guy kept watch just outside the door in case Sam took a header onto the floor. Getting upright made him a little dizzy; he waited for it to pass before stripping down and putting on the gown, hating every second of it. He stared at his clothes lying on a chair, calculating how fast he could get dressed and make a break for it. But he would never make it, because the orderly who could have been a professional wrestler on his off days came back into the room and made sure he went right to bed.

As he pulled the covers up over Sam's body, he said, "A nurse will be in here soon." Then he was gone. A light behind the bed was the only illumination in the room. He could have controlled the other lights with the remote attached to the bed, but he decided to leave things as is. He gave his right arm a once-over. Unless the x-rays showed something strange, he didn't break his arm. That was good news. Although the window was made of safety glass, tiny pellets jabbed him and left scratches all over his forearm. No stitches, thank God. His head, on the other hand...he reached up and touched the rough gauze pad affixed to his temple. Underneath, there was a gash guaranteed to give him a nice character scar later on. _Thanks a lot, Fi! Wonder where our boys in the Beamer are now? A lot of good all that racing did!_

He heard footsteps followed by a soft-spoken nurse. She looked to be about his age, not the kind that he'd be inclined to flirt with. "Well, Mr. Axe, welcome to my ward. I'm Anna and I'll be your nurse for, oh, another three hours. Then the next shift will be in. How's your head feeling?"

"What do you think? It hurts." He immediately regretted being so short with her. "Sorry. I'm not feeling so great right now, and I'm worried about my...my friend, Fiona."

"Ah, Ms. Glenanne. She's on this floor, but she'll be staying in the ICU for at least overnight."

Sam turned to her, his own pain forgotten. "What? What's wrong with Fi?"

"She had a very serious head injury, and there's some swelling on the brain. Hopefully they'll get it straightened out in no time and you two can go home." She smiled. "Not that I don't like having patients, but..."

"I know what you mean." Sam let out a breath in a vain attempt to fight the tiredness that crept up on him.

Anna must have seen his struggle, because she laid a hand on his shoulder and said, "You should rest, Mr. Axe. Radiology is a little behind tonight, so it might be awhile before they get your films processed."

"Okay." He did't need any coaxing. Sam was to the point where not even the pain could keep him awake. He heard Anna tapping at a keyboard and felt her working on him, but soon he was fast asleep and none of it mattered.

* * *

"Sam?"

Sam's cheek twitched at the touch of a cool hand. "Fi?"

"No, it's not Fiona. It's me, Sam. Maddie."

"Maddie." Sam's eyes opened and he looked at her. He saw a sadness in her eyes as she reached out and brushed the hair back from his forehead. "Did you get to see Fi?"

"No, they're not letting anyone in yet. But they think she'll be in a regular room today. How are you doing?"

"I'm fine, Maddie."

"The doctor was just in here when I arrived. He said you're lucky you weren't seriously injured. Just that cut on the head, a slight concussion, and all those cuts on your arm."

"And a bruised hip." Sam just had to add that. He reminded himself to give Fiona a little grief about that later. He warned her she'd bruise him, and to his disappointment, it actually happened.

"Yes. That too." Maddie smiled as if her face would break if she tried to paste on a happy look. "Sam, what happened? Why was Fiona driving like a maniac in the rain?"  
"That's Fi, Maddie. You know her, wouldn't listen to me when I tried to get her to call off the chase. We had a tracker on the car, after all. But she was like a pit bull and wouldn't give up. And now they're who knows where? Probably bugged out last night and flew off to the hell hole they came from. With our client's jewels and money, no doubt." He shook his head and rested his left wrist on his forehead. "This one cost us big time."

"At least you have your lives. Be thankful for that."

"Oh, I am. Believe me!"

Maddie stayed with him all morning, and they chatted to pass the time and keep from worrying about Fiona. They checked out some of the cooking shows on the television. The doctor came in that morning and confirmed what Sam already knew, that his arm was fine and his head would be too, in time. He was surprised when he announced that he would release Sam on two conditions: he kept two meals down, and he had a place to stay for a few days.

Maddie grinned. "The guest room is yours, Sam! It'll be like old times!"

"Yeah, old times." He was really hoping he could go to his place, but Maddie's really wasn't all that bad. "Hey, how's Fi doing?"

The doctor typed something into Sam's records. "She'll be moved to a room tomorrow morning, but we'd like her to rest another day or so before she has any visitors."

"Thanks, Doc."

Sam had a feeling there was something he wasn't telling them, but no amount of rephrasing questions would get him to talk. If Maddie had a lawn chair, some duct tape, and the solitude of her garage, she could probably get results. They were on the doctor's territory, however, so it was his game. He and Maddie just had to be patient.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Maddie unlocked the back door and let Sam inside the house. He had his own key, but she noticed he was looking a bit pale on the way home. Every intersection seemed to bring back the memory of that night, and she said a silent prayer of thanks when they crossed the last one and pulled into the driveway. Sam took his time getting out of the car. She came around and offered a hand, but he wouldn't take it. _Stubborn fool. You don't need to play tough guy with me. I know who you are!_

She accompanied him up to the house, let him inside, and wouldn't leave him until he lay on the bed in the guest room and was sleeping. She made sure his prescriptions were on the night stand with a small pitcher of water and a glass. Then she took his keys and went to his apartment to get a few things for him. Now that she had a guest, she needed to stock up on groceries, so Maddie made a quick trip to the market. When she returned she heard a horrible sound coming from the bathroom.

"Sam? Are you okay?"  
He looked up at Maddie in between bouts of retching. "I...I really tried to keep it down."

"Do you need to go back to the hospital?" She looked at him in a way that said he better tell the truth or he would be sorry.

Sam reached for a towel and the edge of the sink, pulled himself up, and washed his face. He glanced at himself in the mirror and wondered when was the last time he looked so dragged out. "I'm okay, Maddie. I just need...I need some rest." _I need to see Fi. I have to know she's okay! Why won't they tell us what's wrong with her?_

He went back to the bedroom and Maddie followed. "You want me to make some soup or something?"

"No thanks. I'm not hungry." He unbuttoned his shirt, pulled it off, and dropped it onto a chair near the bed. He stripped off the undershirt and glanced at Maddie. "Are you going to stand there and watch me undress?"

"It's not like you've got something I've never seen before," she replied with a serious expression. "I'm worried you're going to keel over!"

"I'm fine," Sam grumbled and sat on the bed to take off his shoes and socks. "Just get, will you Maddie? Please?"

"Okay, but don't you cry to me if you fall on your face and wind up back in the hospital. As it is, I think you should be there. You're going to dehydrate if you have to keep puking out your guts."

Sam felt vertigo kicking in as he shook his head in denial. "There's nothing left to lose now, Maddie. I'm good."

Sometime during the night Sam found himself in the bathroom again. Maddie must have had her mother's hearing finely tuned, because she came downstairs to help him get back to bed afterwards, even though he was only in his boxers. He didn't care, he felt that crummy.

"I told you." She said it softly, but without reproach.

Sam replied with a defeated tone. "I know. But I want to stay here."

"I think we still have some of those medical supplies from when Fiona and Sean were shot. If we've got an IV in there, I'll hook you up and we'll be in business."

"Thanks...Ma..."

By the time she returned with the bag, Sam was sleeping again. She tended to him and left him alone. He would be fine. He just needed time, like Fiona.

As she got back into bed, the phone rang. An icy cold finger of dread crept up her spine. She couldn't answer it at first, but she picked up before it went to voicemail. "Hello?"

"Ma, it's me, Michael."

"Michael?" It was hard not to cry out his name loud enough for Sam to hear. "Where are you?"

"I'm in the States. That's all I can tell you right now. I promise I'll be home in a few days." He paused, and she heard the sound of airplanes in the background. "Ma? Is everything okay there?"

_No, everything's not okay! The love of your life is in the hospital, your best friend is sick, and you had to run off and leave them to their own devices!_ She screwed her lips into a smile and replied. "Everything's fine, honey. You just hurry on home. Okay?"

"Okay. Jesse and I were thinking of stopping in Vegas to see Nate. I can't tell you why, but we're driving back, and, well, it's on the way..."

"Oh, that would be nice! I'm sure Nate and Ruth, and little Charlie, will be so happy to see you! Give them my love." She paused and added, "Give Charlie a kiss and a hug from me. Okay?"

"I'll do that, Ma." She could hear the amusement in his tone. He wasn't used to such normal things in his life. "We'll see you in about three, or four, days."

"Okay! Now, if you don't mind, I'm heading back to bed. It's almost five here."

"Oh, Ma, I'm sorry! I forgot about the time difference! We just landed, and I wanted to call you to let you know we were okay."

"It's alright, Michael. You called, that's the important thing."

Spending time in the civilian world, hanging around with the people who cared for him and loved him seemed to be having a positive effect on her son. She looked forward to him coming home. Maybe then they would let Fiona out of the hospital and she could go back to the loft with him.

* * *

The next morning, thanks to Maddie's care, Sam felt one hundred percent better. She still insisted that he stay in bed and rest. He thought he would be bored, but his body needed sleep so badly, he just fell victim to its desires and spent the entire day either sleeping or in a strange state between sleep and awake. Hopefully he would be well enough to go see Fi the next day.

"Sam, do you think you could eat a little something?"

He opened his eyes and saw Maddie standing in the doorway. "Yeah, not too much."

She brought in a tray with a half a grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of tomato soup. Sam saw it, arose into a sitting position, and grinned. "Ah, now that's some comfort food. Thanks, Maddie!"

"I'm glad you're feeling better." As he took a bite of sandwich and slurped at his soup, she checked his forehead. It was cool to the touch, and the stitched up wound was healing nicely.

"Maddie, who were you talking to last night?" He looked up at her with probing eyes. "I heard the phone ring."

"It was Michael. He's going to be home in a few days."

"Great." Sam dropped the remains of his sandwich onto the tray. "He's gonna be...well, let's just say all the nursing you've done will be for nothing when he gets back."

"Why? It's not your fault."

"No, but he probably won't give me a chance to tell him that."

"Sam, don't worry! I'll talk to Michael before you see him. Maybe by then Fiona will be out of the hospital."

"Yeah, maybe." He finished off the last spoonful of soup, let out a long breath, and handed her the tray. "Thanks, Maddie. It was great."

"There's more soup if you want it, and another half of the sandwich. But you should probably take it easy on that stomach, at least for awhile."

"I intend to. I wanna be able to go see Fi tomorrow." He pulled up the covers around himself and lay on his side. "Maddie, I'm really worried about her."

"Me too, sweetie. Me too." Sam fell asleep quickly. She stayed until she was certain that he wouldn't need to run for the bathroom again, and forced herself to go to bed. Morning would come whether she stayed awake or not, and she'd be much better off if she slept.

* * *

Maddie drove them to the hospital and they stopped at a coffee shop on the way to get a little breakfast and a cup of coffee. Sam was distracted, his leg jittery and not from the caffeine. He ate only part of his scone and drained his cup, eager to be off.

"You ready, Maddie?"

"Yes, Sam. Let's go." She took her coffee with her, afraid that if she stuck around to finish it, he would walk the rest of the way to the hospital. In his condition, that wasn't such a good idea. She wondered why he was so concerned about Fiona. He'd never been this way before.

They arrived at the hospital and found Fiona in a regular room. She lay with the head of the bed at an angle. She looked peaceful sleeping, but at the sound of their feet, she opened her eyes. "Who's there?"

"It's us, Fi." Sam came into the room and stood at the rail. "How're ya doin'?"

She looked toward him, but her eyes had a blank look in them as if she were seeing past him. "Are you alone, Sam?"

"I'm here too, honey," Maddie announced from her place next to Sam. She glanced up at him, puzzled. Fiona should have seen her standing right there.

"Well..." She gave them a wry smile. "If you haven't already figured it out, I can't see you. Either of you." Her eyes filled with tears and she blinked them away. "I'm...I'm blind."

Maddie checked the gasp that came from her throat. "How did this happen?"

"The doctor said it's a side effect from the head injury. Whether it's permanent or not..." She sighed heavily. "That remains to be seen." She let out a mirthless laugh. "Get it? Seen? See?"

"Oh, Fi, I'm so sorry." Sam's hands grasped the bed rail so tightly, his knuckles turned white.

"I don't blame you, Sam. You were the one who told me to call off the chase. If I had, this never would have happened." She paused. "I have only myself to blame."

"Fiona." Maddie reached for her. Fiona felt her hands on her shoulders, and her own hands fumbled for Maddie's arms, running up to her shoulders. Then they wrapped themselves into an embrace while Sam watched.

He'd never seen Fiona this helpless before. It was disconcerting, to say the least. She was a rock, and if she crumbled, he wasn't sure what would happen. But one thing was for certain: despite all the barbs and the animosity they occasionally displayed towards each other, Sam was bound and determined to stay by her side until Michael came home and he could take care of her himself. If necessary, he would be her eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"I think Fiona should come home with me," Maddie said as she and Sam left the hospital. "You can move to Michael's old room. That way she'll be on the ground floor."

"I think she should be at the loft. I'll sleep on the couch."

"But there's so much open space. She'll get lost!"

Sam laughed. "You make it sound like she'd be out in the wilderness or something. Maddie, she knows the loft better than anywhere. She'll be fine, and it's comfortable." He immediately cringed. "Not that your place isn't, Maddie. It's just that she might feel less overwhelmed if she's at home."

Maddie sighed. "You're right, Sam. I'm just concerned that the you're both not well and you'll be unsupervised."

"It's not like I'd do anything..."

"That's not what I meant, and you know it!" Her voice came out harsh and raspy, and she regretted it. "Sorry."

"I get it, Maddie. It's the mom thing kicking in again." He gave her a smile and patted her arm resting on the console. "We both appreciate it. Thanks."

"You're welcome." She parked in the driveway. "I suppose we should get you settled in over there."

"Yeah. Besides, it's only for a few days. When Mike is back, she'll be much better off. Hey, maybe by then she'll have her sight back." He was hoping she would, because if Michael saw her in the condition she was in now, he would be livid. At the very least, he would forbid them to do any more jobs together. Not that that would do anything to keep Fiona down.

_She's strong. She'll get through this. She will get her sight back! I don't want to know what will happen if she doesn't. Never mind Mikey's reaction. _

His last night at Maddie's, Sam lay in bed thinking about Fiona. After Maddie had gone to bed, he stayed up a little later reading. But as the words blurred on the page, he wondered. Then he closed his eyes and forced himself to keep them closed. His ears immediately tuned in to the sounds the house made as it settled for the night. Faint chirping of tree frogs filtered into the house. A car with a noisy engine drove past. Things that normally got blocked out of every day sensory experience came to life. He ran his hand over the slick magazine page and along the side. Just missed getting a paper cut. He closed the magazine, set it on the couch seat beside him, and grazed his hand over the material. The odor of cigarette smoke was stronger. He opened his eyes, thinking that maybe Maddie was there, but he should have heard her exhaling. He was alone.

Sam continued his experiment. He closed his eyes again and stood. He knew the lay of the sunroom by heart, but when visual clues were gone, everything seemed to be so far away and maintaining direction was tough. Just getting around the coffee table, he lost track of where he was headed. Another one of Maddie's snowbabies almost bought the farm. Somehow, Sam instinctively caught it as he jostled the shelving unit and it fell off. How he even knew it was falling without seeing it was anybody's guess. His fingers danced around until he found the shelf and a bare spot where the figuring used to be. He replaced it, sensing a light film of dust on the glass surface.

By the time he made it to the bedroom, he'd run into three pieces of furniture, but he counted the steps so that he could turn around and make the trip two more times. It was draining. He couldn't imagine how Fi would manage, because he had the freedom to open his eyes any time he wanted to see where he was, but she wouldn't have that luxury. It made him even more aware that she needed his help, whether she wanted it or not.

* * *

Sam felt well enough to drive his car to the hospital. With Fi's a total mess, it was the only alternative besides relying on Maddie. She didn't mind, but he felt it was necessary for Fi to have as few distractions as possible when she got home. That meant she needed to be alone, with Sam acting as her guide.

"Fi, I think you better just hang onto me," Sam said as he helped her out of the wheelchair and over to his car.

"I'm fine, Sam. How many steps?"

The corner of his mouth tipped up. She already had the mindset to beat this challenge. "Six."

She counted out six silently and bumped into the side of his car. "More like five, five and a half. Thanks, Sam. Keep this up and I'll get a seeing eye dog. It'll be more reliable...and probably smell better, too."

He fought back the urge to reply with something smart. Instead, he opened the door and let her get inside, placing his hand gently on the top of her head so she wouldn't bang it. She had enough head injury to last awhile. All the way to the loft he tried to make small talk, but she seemed to be in her own world.

Finally, she barked. "Sam, will you just shut up, please? I'm trying to listen to our surroundings, and see if I can figure out where we are."

"Good luck with that, Fi." Although, if anyone could do it, it would be her. "I...I already tried doing that at Maddie's house. It's amazing how your other senses kick in when you lose one."

"I'm already aware of that. I've had a couple of days stewing in a hospital room to learn."

"Yeah. Sorry."

Fiona was mad at him, but he didn't know why. It wasn't his fault they crashed, yet she made him feel like he contributed in some way. It made him angry. He had half a mind to just teach her a lesson. If she thought she was so capable of taking care of herself, maybe he would just leave her at the loft alone with a six pack of yogurt and a good luck. Sam would hate himself if he did that, so he steeled himself against any other barbs she threw at him, and he would try to endure.

She knew how many steps it took to get up to the loft. He unlocked the door and let her inside. He expected her to move, but he walked in and ran into her. "What's wrong?"

"I...I know what the loft layout is like, but...everything is so far away."

The sound of helplessness in her voice tugged at him. He gently urged her forward a step. "Okay, hang on." He closed the door behind him and it made its distinctive high pitched creak. When it made contact with the frame, it clunked and shook the floor a little. Funny how he never noticed that before. Then Sam stood beside her, took her hand in his, and placed it on his arm. "Alright, we're making a left turn, and we'll count out the steps to the bar."

"Okay."

With her pace, it was fourteen steps. Then it was seven at an angle to the bed. Another ten to the left, and they reached the balcony. "Fi, I don't want you going out there without me."

"Oh Sam, there's a railing around it! It's not like I'm going to fall to the ground." She turned completely out of his grip and made it back to the bed without assistance. "See? I'm not completely helpless."

"Fine. But I want to see you make it to the bathroom alone before I feel better about leaving you here." He had no intention of doing such a thing. Making her think he did, however, would appeal to her more independent side and get her to try it. He knew she would fail, and then she'd have no choice but to accept his help.

His jaw dropped when she made it without running into anything, and then she returned with a smug look on her face. He couldn't see her eyes behind the large sunglasses, but he would bet they sparkled in satisfaction.

"Well, I think you just got lucky."

"Nonsense. Sam, I think I can handle things here alone. Don't feel like you need to babysit me."

"I'm not babysitting." God knew with a body like hers, she was anything but a baby. "I, uh, need to run to the store. We're almost out of yogurt, and, uh, other stuff. Hey, this'll be a good test to see how you do alone."

"I'll be fine." She raised a hand in dismissal and felt for the stool to sit at the bar. "Could you do me a favor?"

"Sure, Fi."

"Get me a yogurt out of the fridge? You're right there."

He grinned. "Yes, yes I am." He pulled the last one out and set it before her. "You want me to get a spoon too?"

"Yes...no, wait! Let me. You just go on to the store."

"Okay." He grabbed his keys on the workbench near the door and gave her one last look. She navigated her way to the silverware drawer, pulled out a large spoon, then quickly replaced it for a smaller one, and made it back to the stool without his help. Maybe he was kidding himself and that she really would be fine without him. "See ya later...I mean..."

She let out a light chuckle. "Later, Sam."

He grumbled at himself for being so insensitive and hurried out the door.

* * *

When he returned, his arms were full of bags. Sam wrestled the door open and let it close behind him. He looked around, but he didn't see Fiona anywhere. Panic gripped him. "Fi! Fi, where are you?"

"You're the one who can see, Sam! Just use your damn eyes, will you?"

He approached the bar, set down the bags, and looked over it. Fiona sat on the floor pressing the heel of her hand to her other palm. Blood dripped onto the floor, and shards of glass lay around her. The scent of pickles filled the air.

"Aw, Fi. What happened?" He came around, grabbed the kitchen towel, and crouched down. He took her hand gently, swiped away the blood, and wrapped the towel around the wound to stop the bleeding.

Fiona was trying her best not to cry, but she couldn't help herself. "I...I just wanted something from the fridge. I knew the pickles were in front of it, but I thought I moved them out of the way." She paused and caught her breath. "I heard the crash, and then when I reached down to the floor to pick up the pieces..."

Sam's voice came out in a tender tone. "Fi, you should have left it until I got back."

"No! I have to learn how to do this by myself! I can't rely on you!"

"Why not? Don't you trust me?"

She took too long to answer.

"Fine." Sam fought everything inside him, but he knew that the only way she would get it through her stubborn Irish skull was to show her. "Okay. You're on your own, Fi." He washed the blood off his hands and shook the water from them, since the towel was now covered with her blood. "The groceries are on the bar. Don't forget to put them away before they go bad." Every step out of the loft felt like a physical blow to his midsection. His brain screamed at him to stop being an idiot and go back, but he couldn't. It was the only way.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Fiona let out a huff. _What does he think I am, a child? I'm just suffering a little setback, that's all. _She stood and carefully pulled the towel away from her hand. It stung, but the bleeding seemed to have stopped. Her hand brushed the plastic bags on the bar, rustling them. After a lot more feeling around, she was able to figure out what Sam brought home, except for the items in boxes. Since she couldn't see the labels, she opened each one and sniffed or sampled. Cereal, some nasty sugary thing. She made a face and threw it on top of the fridge with a satisfying thump. The produce and yogurt she put in the fridge along with a gallon of milk. Eggs. Cheese. Something in a box that she couldn't detect a scent, but she felt the long pieces of linguine. This was actually starting to turn into a fun game, figuring out exactly what Sam bought at the store.

It took far longer than it should have to empty all the bags, but she did it without help. She hoped she had everything in the right place. When in doubt, she stuck it in the fridge to be on the safe side.

Next, she found the broom and dustpan. She should have done that the first time to clean up the pickle mess on the floor. By the time she finished that task, she was grinning at her ability to function without help. It didn't matter that it was already past lunch time and she'd only completed these two things. But time seemed to stand still for her when she didn't have access to a clock, and other than a little hunger pang, she didn't have a clue what time it was.

_I'm kind of surprised that Sam didn't come back. He's such a softie, even with me._

She noted the harsh smell of vinegar and dill on her and realized that her clothes were covered with dried pickle juice. _Better grab a quick shower!_ She crossed the room and went into the bathroom, got the water running and to the right temperature without needing to see. She'd lived in the loft for so long, she knew by heart the nuances of coaxing the right temperature out of the shower. She felt so much better afterwards. With one towel wrapped around her head and another around her body, she went back out to get dressed.

"Oh Fi, I'm sorry!"

"Sam!" He sounded as if he stood just inside the door. "W-what are you doing here? I thought you were leaving me on my own!"

"Yeah, well, I only got so far. Maddie reamed me out and threatened to come over here herself to take care of you." He let out a breath. "If you think I'm bad, you're better off not knowing what it's like being watched over by Maddie. Trust me."

There was that word again. Fiona realized that one of the things about Sam, an insecurity perhaps, was that he always found it important that people trusted him. She saw it as a weakness, but who was she to scoff at a time when she had her own shortcoming. Fiona held the towel close to herself and put on a contrite expression.

"Sam. I'm sorry I didn't answer when you asked if I trusted you. I do." She failed to add: to a point. "I'm just…this is all so much to deal with right now."

"I know, Fi. That's why I'm here to help. If only you'll let me."

She could tell by the sound of his voice that he was okay and that she was forgiven.

He asked, "You, uh, want me to pick out some clothes for you?"

"No thanks. I'll put together something, and you tell me if it matches. After that, I'm fine. And no, I don't need your help dressing." A slight smile crossed her face.

Sam laughed nervously. "I wasn't going to ask. You're on your own there, sister!"

While she dressed, Fiona heard Sam moving things in the kitchen. If he made it difficult for her to find something, just to prove a point…she would do whatever it took to find his face and give him a good right hook. She had to admit it to herself. When it came down to Sam Axe, she had trust issues. He didn't make it easy, with his constant playing the field, taking advantage of rich women just so he had a place to stay for free, a car to drive, and a full stomach.

_What kind of life is that, anyway? Doesn't he have any self-respect? With his background, he should be self-sufficient! Hmmm, I wonder how he would have dealt with things if he were the blind one?_ A picture of him in his unmentionables, or less, lying in bed being waited on hand and foot by his latest tart came to mind. She shivered and almost needed another shower to wash off the disgust.

Fiona finished putting herself together by tying up her hair in a pony tail. It was the easiest thing to do for the time being. She emerged from the bathroom and strode across the loft, took a seat at the bar, and listened. Sam was being awfully quiet. Then she listened more closely, and she heard his breathing nearby.

"Sam? What are you doing?"

"Hmm? Oh just reading this prescription they gave you."

"Prescription?" She had no idea that she'd been given anything.

"Yeah. It's just some pain medication. Nothing really strong. I was checking out this material they sent along with it. Personally, after reading some of these side effects, I'd pass."

"Well, I'm not feeling any pain right now, so I guess it's useless." Her stomach growled. "I am hungry, though."

"No problem. I'll make something for you. What do you want?"

"What are my options?"

He gave her a long list and she settled for a salad and some fruit. "Okay, just so you know, if you're looking for a snack later, I arranged the refrigerator to make it easier for you to find stuff." As he cut up lettuce and vegetables for the salad, he verbally laid out the arrangement in the fridge.

Fiona listened, impressed that he took the effort. She felt a bit ashamed that she thought he was trying to thwart her when in fact he made it easier.

"Ow! Crap."

"What did you do?" Her head swiveled from side to side, as if she were hoping to see through a veiled curtain, but had no success.

"Nothin', if you don't mind a little protein in your salad."

"Ew, Sam! No!" Her nose wrinkled.

"Just kidding! I've got everything under control, just never mind." He cut up an apple for her, put it on the plate alongside the salad, and asked. "Dressing?"

"Just the vinegar and oil, please. And not too much, just a tablespoon or two."

"You got it." He poured it sparingly, tossed it up a little, and then set the plate before her. "Okay, your salad is from 6 to 12, and the sliced apple is fanned out from about 1 to 5."

She smiled. "It sounds very artistic, Sam. Didn't know you had it in you."

"Yeah," he flapped a hand. "I've been watching too many of those cooking shows with Maddie."

Fiona let out a little laugh as she felt along the surface for a fork.

"Oh, sorry. The fork is right here," he pulled one out of the silverware drawer and put it in her hand. Their fingers touched briefly, and his pulled away as if hers were on fire.

She ate in silence while Sam cleaned up the kitchen and nibbled on the leftovers from making Fi's salad. "This really hits the spot, huh?"

"Yes, it's quite good. You make an adequate salad, Sam."

"Adequate, huh." He put the last of the ingredients into the fridge and pulled out a beer. "Oh yeah, beer's in the door. But I think you might wanna lay off the alcohol while you've got the head issues. Know what I mean?"

She nodded wordlessly. Funny how something like that came naturally; yet if she were talking to another blind person, they would have no idea that she agreed. "You're right, Sam. I'l stick to water."

After she got something in her stomach, Fiona didn't know what to do. She was used to being on the go almost all the time. With no job, she would probably do her nails, except...she couldn't even see them to do them. She sighed heavily and rested her chin in her hand.

"Bored?" Sam didn't need to ask. He could see it on her face, but he verbalized anyway just for her sake. As a matter of fact, if she knew how forlorn she looked at the moment, Fiona would be downright embarrassed to let so much emotion show in front of him.

"Yes. Maybe I should take a nap." She got up from the stool and tried to navigate around the other one, but her foot snagged on it and she went down hard on the floor. "Dammit! Who left that stool sticking out so far?"

Without a word, Sam got down on one knee and gently touched her shoulder. She threw off his hand.

"Leave me alone! I can get up by myself. I'm not completely helpless, I just can't see."

"I know that. I'm just trying to help."

"You can help by leaving me alone for awhile, Sam. Please." She stood and made it to the bed without stumbling over anything. Even though she couldn't see, she could feel his eyes on her. "And stop staring! I'm not some kind of freak!"

"I'm sorry, Fi. I'll, uh, be up on the computer if you need anything."

She heard his footsteps fading away and she instinctively counted them. When he hit the steps, she had to listen harder, but she could hear every footfall. Even if she hadn't heard him walk away, she would have known he left her. The smell of Old Spice was a dead giveaway and as long as he was in the loft, it would always be there.

Fiona tried to sleep, but she wasn't tired. She tossed and turned on the bed. With every movement, she grew more and more frustrated. How long would she have to endure this? If this was permanent, she didn't think she could take it. She had a lot of unfinished business, and she didn't trust Sam to take care of it for her. When Michael returned, maybe he could tie up her loose ends. But then what? She would be a single woman with no income. Yes, she had a place to stay with Michael, but she didn't want to be the female counterpart to Sam, counting on Michael to be her sugar daddy and take care of her every need. No, she would figure out how to survive on her own if it killed her, and if it did, at least then she wouldn't have to live like this anymore. Fiona was too strong to let this defeat her. She would prevail.

Somewhere along the line she must have exhausted herself with the tossing around, because she sat up and felt well-rested. Paper rustled nearby. "Welcome back, Fi. Did you have a nice nap?"

"You...you gave me something to knock me out, didn't you?" She glanced around at nothing, trying to detect where he was. She knew where Michael's chairs were, but it didn't sound as if he was in any of them.

"Fi, before we left the hospital I talked with your doctor. He said you didn't sleep very welll, so he gave me a sedative to give you, just in case."

"You said he prescribed a pain reliever." She narrowed her eyes, for all the good it did.

"Yeah, and a sedative. I decided that was on a need to know basis, and at the time, you didn't need to know, because I suspected you'd never take it."

"So you laced my food with it. Sam, how could you!"

"You know, everything I've done here has been for you. I don't have to be here, sister, but Mikey's my friend. More than that, he's like a brother, and I love him like one. You, for whatever reason, are an extension of him, and so I care a...for you."

She heard him get up from the stool at the bar and come closer. "But you're making it nearly impossible. I don't know how much longer I can put up with your crap. If you really don't want my help, I'll tell Maddie to come over here and she'll smother you. I guarantee it. You'll be begging me to come back, but I'd be crazy to do that."

He dropped a newspaper on the table. She was proud of herself that she could distinguish the difference between a paper and a magazine. But right now that wouldn't earn her any points with Sam. She sat on the edge of the bed, knees together, hands clasped in her lap.

"Well, what have you got to say about that?"

"Nothing, Sam."

"I didn't think so." His footsteps started toward the door. "If your highness doesn't mind, I'm going to go out and get some fresh air for awhile. I'll be back later." The door squealed and thudded behind him.

Without a reference for time, such as light patterns or a clock, and with nothing to do, Fiona felt herself growing uneasy with the continued silence. She heard noises downstairs and hoped that maybe Sam returned. She waited for the sound of feet on the stairs, but there was nothing. A door banged, voices muffled, and before long, music thumped up through the floor. It was after nine, and Sergei's club was open for business.

During all of this, not once did she ask how Sam fared in the accident. He seemed to be okay. There was nothing in his voice to indicate he'd been injured. He probably walked away without a scratch, a sick and cruel twist of fate. Since he was the one who warned her to slow down in the first place, his reward was to come out of it injury free. _So this is my penance for my lack of judgement. I will spend the rest of my life unable to see, because of one mistake._ Not one to wallow in self-pity, she was getting too close for comfort. With a sigh, she got up and wandered around the loft, working off nervous energy to the point where she actually had herself so turned around, she suddenly couldn't make a step without worrying whether she would run into a post or something.

It was then that she heard footsteps coming upstairs. Maybe it was Michael! She heard the key in the lock, the bolt turned, and he entered the loft.

"Michael?"

"Sorry to burst your bubble, Fi. It's just me, Sam." He dropped his keys on the workbench and locked the door behind him.

"How was the air?" She pursed her lips, holding back the apology she knew she should give him.

"It was nice. It's a bit cool out there, but it feels good. Hey, would you, um, like to go for a little walk? You don't have to hang onto my elbow or anything, but it would help you get around."

"No, thank you. I think I did enough pacing around here while you were gone." She silently thanked him for the conversation, because it helped her get her bearings again. Although, she still wound up ramming her shin into the night stand.

"Oh hey, hey, hey, sit down on the bed."

"Why?"

"Why? You just knocked your shin and it's bleeding a little. So sit down, and I'll take care of it." He let out a long sigh and went for the med kit. He soon knelt down before her as she perched on the edge of the mattress. "Fi, until you get acclimated or you get your sight back, you have to acknowledge the fact that I'm going to be here acting as your eyes." He taped a bandage to her shin and patted her knee. "There you go, good as new. Now, how about we play some cards?"

"Cards, Sam? Are you serious? How cruel can you be!"

She could hear the humor in his reply. "Not cruel at all. Before we can play, though, you're gonna have to learn the dots."

"Dots."

"Yeah. Braille. I found a store that carries a lot of stuff for...um...challenged people, and..."

She interrupted him with a perturbed look on her face. "Oh Sam, don't sugar coat it. I'm blind! B-L-I-N-D!"

"Nice to know you can still spell."

She balled her hand into a fist and let it fly.

"Ow!"

Knowing she made contact with his shoulder, she smiled briefly, then sobered. "I'll have you know, _brother_, that I'm not challenged. I'm handicapped."

"Temporarily. But in the meantime, it wouldn't hurt for you to learn a little Braille. Tell you what, I'll learn it too, and then turn off the lights so we both have to play in the dark. What do you say?"

Fiona couldn't help herself. She burst into laughter. "Sam, you're crazy!" She grinned up at him. "But you know what? That's a challenge I don't mind."

"I can guarantee that strip poker's out of the question. It would be no fun in the dark."

"Sam," she growled and he laughed.

"Boy, you take everything so serious, Fi!" He got up and went over to the old cable spool that served as a table. "Come on, let's try this."

It took them awhile to master the dots, and they didn't get to play any cards that night, but at least they had something to do to help her pass the time. When she was tired, he put the cards away and she retreated to the bathroom to change for bed. She came out but didn't hear Sam. She shuffled her feet past the bed and toward the open doors leading to the balcony.

"Fi, you better stay inside."

"Why? It's not like I'll fall because it's too dark to see. It could be broad daylight and I wouldn't be able to see, remember?"

"I remember, I'm not stupid. I just think you better stay inside, that's all." He noticed the filmy negligee she was wearing, and it was better if she stayed in the dark until she crawled into bed. Despite how he felt about her as a person, always at odds with her, as a female, she didn't realize what wearing those skimpy see through outfits did to him as a man. This was going to be tough to bear.

_Mike better get home soon. Between her being irritating and unconsciously flaunting herself, she's been a real handful!_ But he'd spoken with Mike while he was out on his evening shopping trip. He wouldn't be there for another three days. Maybe by then Fi would be back to herself. He wasn't looking forward to having Mike walk in and see her stumbling around. Sam wanted to tell him, but he didn't know how. Besides, Maddie made him swear he wouldn't tell, that she would take care of it when he got home, because he didn't need to be worrying about it on the trip back. _She's right. Why worry him over something that might clear up in a few days?_

Sam stayed outside until he was certain that Fi was asleep. Then he closed the double doors against the chill, walked past her sleeping form in the dark with only the light from below to illuminate his way, and headed upstairs to make a bed on the couch. It had been too long a day, and his own head was starting to pound. The cut on his temple had healed well enough to remove the bandage, but the lingering effects of the concussion made him feel queasy and in need of a horizontal position. He hadn't eaten much, that was the problem. Tomorrow he would be much better, and maybe if he was in a better state, Fiona wouldn't be so irritating.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

It took a couple of days for Fiona to feel comfortable in her new sightless life. Not that she was coming to terms with it. It was like an annoying relative who insisted on insinuating themselves into every aspect of her life. She had to admit to herself, if it weren't for Sam, she would be a wreck by now. _When is Michael coming home? Sam said three days, and that was, what, two days ago? Why can't he hurry if he knows what happened to me?_ She tried not to take her frustrations out on Sam, but his kindness bordered on irritating. _Is he that dense? Doesn't he understand that I need to figure this out and train myself so I can live alone if necessary? _Michael would support her, but when he went off on the next mission, she would be alone again. If she didn't prepare for that...

Sam figured out what Fiona's problem was. She wanted to be able to deal with life on her own if this became permanent. _She's afraid that Mike isn't coming back. Maybe she thinks we told him and he's taking his sweet time about getting back because he doesn't want to deal with it, with her! _He almost told her that Mike had no clue, but he promised Maddie he would keep it mum for now, and he would not break that promise. Besides, it kept her eager to learn how to cope, and right now that was the only thing keeping her going. He had to admire her for that, instead of just laying back and expecting the world to take care of her, she would do it herself.

He heard a lot of noise coming from the bathroom that included some cursing in Gealic. With a sigh he walked away from the beginning of breakfast prep to see what the problem was. See. How he took that ability for granted! He thought that Fi's situation would change his perspective, and it did. It made him even more aware of how important sight was, because she depended on his, whether she liked it or not, to help get her through. Although Sam liked to have his fun, he took this responsibility very seriously.

"What's the matter, Fi?"

"My hair, that's the matter!" She stared blankly into the mirror, unable to see the reflection that bounced back at her, but following habit by standing before it. "It's like a rat's nest this morning, and I can't do a thing with it! If I could see..." She yanked the brush out of an especially difficult snag and it hit the mirror, nearly shattering it.

"Okay, let's get the dangerous lady out of the bathroom." He grabbed her shoulders, but she wrenched herself away. "Come on, Fi. There's no room for a fight in here. Just come out, sit down, and we'll see...I mean...we'll try to take care of this little crisis. Okay?"

Fi's bottom lip came out. He'd never seen that expression on her before. If she weren't so mad, it would be kind of cute. However, he'd never tell her so to her face, not unless he wanted another application of her knuckles to his body. He saw surrender cross her face, and he was relieved that she allowed him to touch her shoulders to steer her to a chair.

"Okay, just sit. I'll be right back." His feet hurried across the loft back to the bathroom, and he quickly returned with the brush, a comb, and a spray bottle full of water. "Alright, I'm going to wet down your hair and work this comb through it."

He sprayed until her entire head was soaked, and with a lot less effort than Fiona put into it, he freed the tangles. Then he switched to the brush and worked from scalp to ends. It reminded him of times that he brushed Veronica's hair, and how much she loved it. He felt a little pang as he pictured it as if it were yesterday, because she was one of the few that he regretted losing. Sam shook his head. He didn't have time to be thinking of her right now. He had a job to do.

Fiona didn't expect the tenderness that Sam used in taking care of her hair. The brush was soothing as it stirred the hair follicles at her scalp and slipped down to her waist. She tilted her head back and closed her eyes, a look of pure contentment transforming her. She hoped that when Michael came home, he could do this for her. The thought stirred things inside her. Things that she was better off not thinking right now with Sam doing it. Her head snapped back to an upright position and she suddenly bolted from the chair as Sam reached the ends of her hair again.

"Thank you, Sam. That's sufficient."

"Oh. Okay. If I have to say so myself, it looks good now, Fi."

"I still think I should cut it. It'll be easier to maintain short."

Sam gave her a good look and imagined her with short hair. He didn't like anything he came up with. "How short are we talking here?"

"I don't know, maybe one of those close to the scalp things. Very short."

He let out a disgusted noise. It shook her. She hadn't expected him to find her hair attractive.

"Well...whatever. It's your hair, Fi." He returned to the kitchen, clattering about, frying up some eggs in a skillet, their sizzle and pop overcoming any further conversation they might have had.

After breakfast was done and Sam started on dishes, Fiona came to stand beside him. Her hands felt around for the towel, and she found it on Sam's shoulder.

"Fi, what are you doing?"

"Trying to help. If I have to live with this, I need to be able to do something as simple as wash dishes, don't you think?"

"I'll wash, you dry." He sighed, resigned to her helping. She had a point, though. It was time to adapt and think realistically about this. What he didn't tell her was that the doctor told him that blindness due to a head injury often cleared up in three or four days, once the brain swelling was down. Today was past that, and she wasn't seeing anything. Just to check, he waved a hand in front of her face.

"Sam, you're getting soap suds all over. What are you doing?"

She didn't blink. "Sorry, Fi. Just had a cramp in my hand, that's all."

"You haven't been at the range lately. Getting soft?"

"Hah. Never happen, sister." He rinsed off the last plate and set it in the rack. "Okay, that's the last one. After you finish that up, why don't you get yourself together and we'll go out for awhile?"

"Why?"

"Aren't you getting stir-crazy by now sitting around here? I mean, there are only so many games of cards and dominoes that I can play." He chuckled. "Come on, Fi. It'll be nice for you to get out in the sunshine for awhile. We can go to the beach, shopping, whatever."

"Shopping." She snorted. "Shopping's no fun."

Sam nearly fell over at that revelation. "But Fi, besides hunting down bad guys, that was like your favorite activity!"

"Not anymore, Sam! Things have changed. I'm...I'll be on a limited income, if any, now. I have to conserve what funds I have."

Sam had a feeling this had nothing to do with money, but everything to do with the loss of the visual experience as part of shopping. That and the fact that she was afraid to go out and stumble around, only to have people stare at her and shake their heads in pity. "No. I'm not going to let you sit around and become a hermit. That's not you! Get your act together. Ten minutes, sister, and then we're going out."

Fi's mouth opened. He hooked a finger under her chin and closed it. Then her eyes shut down and she gave him one of her mean stares, but it lost all its bite without the angry light in her eyes. Finally, she growled and turned on her heel. She quickly discovered that she couldn't seethe and count steps at the same time, so she directed her anger into concentrating on where she was going.

Sam drove her to the open air mall where she usually shopped. Strange that he knew without asking. It was a smart move, because in her mind's eye, the layout of the place was still fresh and it would ease her navigation issues. However, it was also a challenge, because there were so many tiny kiosks in the concourse. She wondered what people thought when a scruffy guy in a hawaiian shirt came around to her side of the car, opened it, and helped her out. After closing the door and locking the car, he took her arm and tucked her hand around his elbow to rest on his bent forearm. She had nothing to worry about, because he steered her around the crowds and the kiosks.

It suddenly occurred to her that he had something in mind. "Sam, where are we going?"

His response was light. "You'll find out in a minute."

"Don't you know it's not nice to surprise blind people?" Despite her annoyance at his being coy about where he was taking her, she felt a little thrill of adventure.

"Now, it's not that big of a deal, but I thought it might make you feel a little better."

He stopped, and his whole body turned as he reach out to pull a door open with his left hand, and then he ushered her inside. A bell tinkled. The familiar odor of chemicals wafted to her nostrils, and she detected the plastic smell of nail polish. "Where are we?"

Sam ignored the question and approached a counter. "Miss Glenanne is here for her appointment."

"Right this way, please."

Sam led Fiona to a comfortable chair, turned her so the backs of her knees touched it, and held onto her hand until she was seated. "Okay, you ladies have fun. I'm going to do a little shopping. When should I be back?"

"In about an hour or so, Sir."

"Alrighty. Later, Fi. Enjoy!"

"Sam, why? Why are you doing this?" It was useless to cry out and make a spectacle of herself, because the tinkling at the door signaled that he was already gone and had done enough to make her look like a fool without her own efforts.

"Now, Ms. Glenanne, relax. You're here to have fun! I'll start with your toes, removing the old polish, and we'll put those tootsies into a nice relaxing bath while I work on your hands. Okay?" The woman's voice put her at ease, and she allowed herself to enjoy the ministrations. She would never be able to see what color to put on for her new manicure and pedicure, but she could still allow herself to revel in the sensation of being pampered. Behind her sunglasses, a tear leaked out of her eye.

_Somehow he knew. This is exactly what I needed right now!_

After the manicure, Sam asked, "Fi, are you serious about cutting your hair? I mean, what do you think Mike would say?"

"It's my hair, Sam. I have to live with it, not him. Why? Did you make a hair appointment for me too?"

He chuckled. "No way. That session back there was a big enough hit to my pocketbook for one day. No, I was just wondering."

"I see." The fact that he paid for the nail salon really rocked her to the core.

"You...see?"

Her lips puckered. "I mean, I understand. It's going to take a lot of getting used to. That word means something completely different now. You know what I mean?"

"Yeah. I've found I have to stop myself and think about it. I'm sorry."

Fiona inclined her head up to face him and she felt the warm sun on her face. "It's okay. Sam, I'm not that fragile. I won't dissolve into tears if you say the word or refer to sight. It's a fact of life, I don't have it, but everybody else does. Let's just get over it and move on!"

"Well, I think so far you've done an admirable job."

Shock registered on her face. She wasn't expecting a compliment from him. "I..I'm just trying to cope. Nothing admirable about that, it's just reality."

"Still, I know a lot of women who would have handled things differently. You, Fi, are doing it with class and dignity."

She felt his lips softly press into her cheek as he kissed her chastely. It was all she could do to keep the shock and confusion from her face, but it was impossible to hide the blush that raced to her cheeks.

"Thank you." That's all she could say. Of all the things she'd have to cope with, she didn't expect this new Sam to be one of them.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Maddie called Sam while he had his arms up to his elbows in soapy water. "Fi, can you take over here?"

"Sure. It's about time you let me wash." She smiled as she stepped closer to him and he moved back so she could occupy his space. He quickly dried his hands on her shirt back.

"Sam!" She laughed.

"Sorry, the towel is too wet."

"Oh, just answer that phone! Maybe it's Michael."

After the outing to the mall and the beach the day before, Fiona had been in much better spirits. He was beginning to think that maybe her opinion of him had evolved for the better. Only one thing could shatter their fragile truce, and he was afraid that Maddie was about to take a hammer to it. He walked out to the landing to answer the phone.

"Maddie. What's up?"

Her voice sounded frantic. "Michael is coming home tonight, Sam. It'll probably be late."

"I'm surprised he didn't call me...oh wait...he did." He remembered the chirp letting him know about a voicemail on his phone. "Fi's just finishing up the dishes and I was planning on calling Mike when we were done."

"I don't think you should."

"Why not?" He paused. "You told him about Fi, didn't you."

"Well, not everything. I told him you two were in an accident and that you were recovering. He was so angry that I didn't tell him the first time we talked, he wouldn't let me get in another word." She sighed deeply. "Maybe it's for the best. He'll find out soon enough when he gets home."

"Thanks a lot, Maddie. I told you we should have been up front with everybody. Why didn't you want to tell him?"

"I didn't want him to worry!"

"So rage is better?" He let out a ragged breath. "You know what, I'm going to talk to Fi right now, tell her the truth. She thinks Mike didn't care and that he was taking his time coming home because he might not want to spend his life with a blind woman." Just thinking about what he said brought emotions to the surface. "This is all so royally screwed up, Maddie. I can't believe this was all to spare Mike."

"I really thought this would be all over by the time he came back and Fiona would be able to see again. She's no better?"

"No. I'm afraid this isn't going away. And I'm really afraid that Mikey is going to blow a gasket when he comes home and finds out. So if I talk to Fi, at least I can defuse a grenade before the atom bomb hits. I'll talk to you later." He paused. "Tell you what...I'll write your name and number on a piece of paper and stick it in my pocket, so when they find my body they'll have someone to call and ID it."

"Sam," Maddie wailed, but he cut her off. He ran a hand through his hair and groaned. He was not looking forward to what was about to come, but he no longer had a choice. He had to tell Fi that Michael was as much in the dark as she was. Yes, it was a job hazard being a spy with family. Too often you came home to surprises. Sam was familiar with that one from his SEAL days, when he discovered his wife couldn't wait for him, so she found another man. The truth cut like a knife, and in this case, it wouldn't be some little paring knife. Sam hurt for his friend. He never wanted to do this to him, but somehow he let Maddie talk him into it. Somehow he had to figure out a way to convince him of that. Maybe by working on Fi first, he could figure it out.

"Where were you, Sam? I was calling you."

"You didn't hear me go out the front door?" He crossed the room and sat in the chair next to hers at the round table.

"I guess I was too wrapped up in my thoughts." Her hands fidgeted and played with a braided cord embellished with beads. It was something she bought at the mall the day before because it was so tactile. "Was that Michael?"

"No, it was Maddie."

"Sam, why hasn't Michael called and asked about me?"

It was too hard to come right out and say it, so he evaded just one more time. "He's been working, Fi. Until a few days ago, he was out of the country, and after that, Maddie said he was heading home and stopping in Vegas to see Nate."

"If his mom told him about me...do you think that's why he hasn't called?"

Sam knew she'd been thinking that way. It was time to set her straight. He let out a huge breath and his entire body deflated. "Fi, Maddie didn't tell Mike what happened to us, and she swore me to secrecy not to tell him when I spoke with him."

"Why? That doesn't make any sense."

"I know. I really didn't want to hide this from him, Fi. It's not right that he had no clue. All he knows now is that we were in an accident and are recovering, but I don't think he even knows the extent of our injuries."

"Sam, how could you do this? After I was starting to...no, I did, I trusted you. You didn't just withhold information, you broke that trust!" Her voice shook with anger as she got up and approached him.

"I know."

"You should have just told him! You knew it was wrong to keep this information from him!"

"Don't tell me something I already know, sister! I've been kicking myself ever since."

"You've got a phone! You should have used it!"

"Don't get mad at just me. It wasn't my idea!"

"But because of you, this is going to be a lot worse than it needed to be!" She growled and kicked out, but she hit nothing but air. That only frustrated her more. "Dammit, Sam! Why did you do this? Why did you let me think that Michael was avoiding me?"

"I'm sorry, Fi! I...the last thing I wanted to do was hurt you or Mike. His mom wanted to protect him, and so did I. It was wrong, I should have said something right away, and I am truly, truly sorry that I didn't." He shifted in his chair. "I don't know what else I can do to make it up to you. I made a mistake. I acknowledge that I screwed up. All I can offer you is an apology, and if you won't take that, I don't know what else I can do."

Fiona walked away with confident strides toward the punching bag. Then he heard a rhythmic sound of her fists arms, legs and feet making contact with it. From across the loft he heard her breathing hard. Every blow, he knew it was meant for him. Yet instead of taking it out on his body, she transferred it to the punching bag. Maybe the trust and esteem she'd developed for him wasn't dead yet. Or maybe she was priming herself for a major butt kicking. She returned, and he stiffened in his chair. He should have taken off while she got out her raw emotions.

"Fi. I...I didn't want it to be like this."

He was surprised when she moved closer, knelt beside his chair, and placed her hands on his face. Since she couldn't see the sincerity on it, at least she could feel it. She nodded, removed her hands, and got to her feet. "I'm still angry at you."

"I would expect you to be, and I don't blame you. I just wish there was some way I could make it up to you."

A small smile flitted across her mouth. "If you're really sorry, you'll let me win at cards tonight."

"Sorry, Fi. I'm not in the mood right now."

"Ohhh, you've been beating me since you brought those cards home. It's my turn! If I can't kick your ass, the least I can do is win a few hands."

"Yeah, right. I know those babies better than you."

"That's just because you can see them, as well as touch them. Turn off the lights, Sam, and prepare to lose."

* * *

Michael parked his car behind Sam's and locked it. He looked up at the loft and saw that all the windows were dark. He wasn't sure why his friend was here. His mother said they'd both been injured in a car accident, so maybe he was helping Fi, giving her some medical care. His foot slipped on the wet steps, the aftereffect of a quick summer evening shower. The door was locked, so he stuck his key in and unlocked it. _Fi must be in bed. Of course, if she's still recovering from... _From what sort of injuries, he had no idea. Once he discovered that his mother, and Sam, withheld information from him, he was furious.

_"I didn't want you to worry, Michael! I was afraid you'd speed home and get hurt...or killed...trying to get back to Fiona, when she'll be back to herself in no time!"_

He also vaguely remembered her asking him how it felt to be in the dark, when he'd done a similar thing to her for ten years. He never thought she could be so petty, but there it was. In the morning, he would go visit her, maybe take Fi along as a buffer, and try to figure out why she did this to him. Until then, he stole into the loft and expected to find Fi asleep.

Sam's voice pierced the darkness. "Okay, Fi. Call."

Her voice sounded haughty as she replied. "Four of a kind, all aces." Something scraped across the wood table top.

"Uh uh, not so fast. Straight flush. Pay up, Fi."

"Let me see that!"

Puzzled, Michael turned on a light near the bed. Fiona sat leaning toward Sam, her fingers running over the cards, while Sam's head jerked around to Michael. He blinked at the sudden intrusion of light.

"Mike, what are you doing?"

"I was about to ask you two the same thing. Playing poker...in the dark?"

"Michael!" Fiona threw down the cards and jumped up from her chair, and she launched herself at him. Her mouth sought his, and he spent a few minutes enjoying the welcome home.

When they finally parted, he grinned as he smoothed the hair from the sides of her face. "Fi, you look great. I was worried about what happened to you. My Ma..."

"Didn't tell you everything, Michael." She pulled out of his grip, took his hand, and found the bed with the back of her legs before sitting.

Michael watched her with ever growing concern. When she faced him, he could see her much better in the light, and immediately, he knew something was wrong. "Fi?" He placed his hands on the sides of her face as he was suddenly overcome with emotion. The words came out in a whisper. "What happened to you?"

"I'm blind, Michael. Simple as that. If it hadn't been for Sam hanging out with me, helping me acclimate..."

"No, no, this can't be. My mom never said anything about you being blind!" He pressed his hands tighter to her, until she reached up to pull them away. Then he grasped her hands and held them in his. He turned to Sam, who could have easily slipped away during their reunion, but by the look on his face, he was ready to pay for his silence. "You knew about this and you didn't tell me when you had the chance! Why not?"

"Your mom asked me not to."

"So your loyalty to my mother trumps what we have between us?"

"No. Like I told Fi, I..."

"I don't care what you told Fi." Michael got to his feet and approached Sam, who thought it wise to stop making himself such an easy target and stood. "Did you think you were doing me a favor? Or did you just think I was too stupid to figure it out for myself when I got home?"

"It's not like that, Mike. We all thought this would be temporary, nothing to worry you about."

"You have my number. You could have called me when you figured out that you wouldn't be able to hide it from me."

"I wanted to tell you."

"Then you should have!" Suddenly, Michael's fist came out of nowhere, slammed into Sam's jaw, and sent his best friend sprawling to the floor.

Sam tasted blood and swiped some from his lip. "Yes, I should have, and I'm sorry."

"Get out, Sam. Just get out, and don't come back until I call you. Maybe in another decade or so."

"Michael, please!"

"Fi, stay out of this!" Michael stood over Sam, ready to strike again.

"My stuff..." Sam scrambled to his feet and made a wide berth around Michael.

"Leave it! Just get out of my sight, right now. I've had to deal with enough traitors lately."

The words cut him to the heart. "I thought we were friends, Mike."

"So did I," Michael shot over his shoulder as he turned back to envelop Fiona protectively in his arms.

"Friends listen to each other and try to forgive."

"Friends also don't lie by hiding the truth from their friends! Get out, Sam, before I hit you again."

"Fine." He looked past Michael at Fiona, who stood hunched into Michael's chest, sobbing. "I hope you two have a nice life. Fi, I don't know what you were waiting for, but I hope that whatever walked in the door tonight was not it." Before he could make it to the door, Michael was there, probably just so he could have the last word, or another shot at him. Sam pushed him out of the way, but he stepped back into Sam's path. He shoved Mike into the workbench, turned the knob, and pulled on the door, and Michael simply stared at him. "Bye, Mike."

When he got downstairs, Sam realized that Michael's car parked him in. He shook his head and sighed. There was no way he was going back up there to beg Mike to move his car. He pulled out his phone. "Maddie? Can you come and pick me up at Mike's?"

* * *

"I can't believe he decked you," Maddie said as she handed Sam an ice pack and a beer.

Sam accepted both, dropped the ice pack on the table and twisted the top off the beer. He held it against his jaw for a few moments, wincing at the pain and feeling it throb as it swelled. Then he tipped the bottle up and finished it off in three big swallows.

"Hit me again, Maddie." He cringed. "Not like...you know what I mean."

Maddie set another cold one in front of him. "Sam, drinking isn't going to solve your problems."

"No, honesty from the start would have. Actually, it would have prevented this from ever happening." He pointed to his jaw with the bottle and then took a long swig. "Thanks a lot, Maddie, for the bright idea of keeping things from Mike."

Maddie finished off her own beer. "It's a poor excuse, I know. I really didn't want him to worry about something that was supposed to be temporary! But I guess I was also mad at him for running off again with no word of where he was or when he would be back. The stress of Fiona and you being hurt...I wasn't thinking, Sam. And now I've ruined your friendship."

"No, you didn't, Maddie. I did. Nobody put a gun to my head making me keep quiet. I thought it was best for him and his mission to not say a word." He sighed and dropped his forehead onto his arm, then raised it and stared at her. "He called me a traitor."

"He didn't mean it, Sam." She placed her hand on his arm and rubbed it gently.

"Oh, yes he did. You didn't see the look in his eyes. At that moment, I wished it had been me who was blind, because I never, ever wanted to see that look on Mike's face. Ever." He drained his third beer. "You know how he is, Maddie. He means what he says, and says what he means." The alcohol was starting to have an effect, and he began to slur his words. "I guess I'm right back where I started...the day the U.S. government gave me a one way ticket to Miami, a clean outfit, and...oh, I forget. Oh yeah, that crappy pension." He took a drag on beer number four. "The one they keep trying to take away for some stupid reason or another."

"Gotta love the government. They're what made my son the fine, upstanding, perfectly self-righteous...man...he is today." Maddie was on her third beer. "You know Sam, you should have kicked his ass for being such a jerk. Here you spent how many days watching over Fiona, by yourself, taking care of her, when he wasn't around. I can't imagine that had to be a picnic! He should have been grateful for everything you did."

"She wasn't so bad, once we had an understanding." He paused, drooping over the table, eyes heavy. "You know, Fi's actually kind of fun to be around sometimes."

Maddie saw the mournful look on his face and chalked his words up to his being inebriated. "The point is, you did a lot for that girl, and how did she show her appreciation? She let Michael whale on you!"

"Ma...she was hardly in any position to get between us at the time. I'm glad she didn't. I was afraid she'd get hurt."

"Michael doesn't deserve you for a friend. You're too good for him, Sam. Don't ever let him make you think otherwise." She shook her finger at him like it had a mind of its own.

Sam fell silent, his fuzzy brain thinking about all that he and Mike had been through over the years. "How could he think of me as a traitor? I've done nothing but back him for years. I could have rolled on him to the FBI, but did I? No! I gave them false or crappy intel to throw them off the track time and again. And the one time I take the wrong side, he crucifies me. If he's willing to throw our friendship away over that, then he isn't worth having as a friend either."

* * *

He had no idea when he went to bed, but Sam found himself lying on his back the next morning on top of the covers, fully clothed. He heard someone in the room. His eyes fluttered open, and he was grateful that the light filtering in the window wasn't the harsh early morning sun. As it was, the light knocked on his head, sending an annoying staccato through his skull.

"Mike?"

"Get up, Sam."

Sam got up slowly, anticipating more blows. Michael stepped back and waited for him to get on his feet. He stared at Sam, his focus on the jaw that was dressed in an ugly shade of purple that morning.

"Yeah, thanks for that, Mike. Too bad I don't own a shirt to match!" Without warning, Sam slugged Michael and sent him flying into the wall.

"I deserved that." Michael winced as he peeled himself off the wall.

"Damn right you did." Sam turned and walked out of the bedroom and the house, and he kept going. He had no idea where he would end up, probably his apartment. He wished he had his sunglasses, because it was a long walk and his head was killing him now.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

The morning after Sam left Maddie's, Michael dragged Fiona with him to his mother's house. Fiona was unusually morose, but he couldn't fault her. They lost their friend yesterday, and he wanted to know how it came to this. His key nearly broke in the lock as he turned it and entered the house. "Ma! Ma, where are you?"

"Michael, there's no need to bust down the door!" Maddie came out of the kitchen with a cigarette in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. "What is the matter with you?" She glanced at Fiona and her breath sucked in as she saw the saddest look on her face. "What's going on?"

"Why didn't you or Sam tell me up front what was happening here? Instead, when I heard something in your voice, you got all sunny and denied anything was wrong. Why'd you do that, Ma?" He left Fi near the door and closed in on Maddie's space. Close enough to make her uncomfortable.

She set her cup on the table and tried on a small smile. "Michael, Fiona, I think we should sit down and talk over some coffee." Her eyes took on an edge. "Sit! Now!"

Michael dissented. He helped Fiona to a chair and seated her, then moved a chair closer to hers and settled in it. Maddie brought two steaming cups for them. The time she took to prepare their brew just the way they liked it served as a time for Michael to settle down and use his head and not his emotions to handle the situation. "Ma, why?"

"When we found out Fiona was blind, and then you called, it couldn't have been at a worse time. I was hoping it was only temporary. The doctor thought it would be! So...I thought maybe if I kept the truth from you, and stalled you with the visit to Nate, by the time you came home, she would be back to normal."

"And you thought hiding this from me was a good idea because..."

"You were on the road. I didn't want you taking unnecessary risks to come back to try and fix something that was beyond your control! I know you, Michael!"

"She meant well, Michael," Fiona spoke with a soft voice.

"I didn't want anyone to get hurt." She took a long drag on her cigarette. "if it helps any, Sam was completely against hiding this from you. And when he did, he did it under duress. So you can blame me for everything. It was my fault. I screwed up." Her eyes filled with tears. "Michael, I'm sorry."

Michael blinked and stared up at the ceiling, focusing on a hairline crack. "Ma, I'm not a little kid. I can handle bad news." He lowered his head and stared at her. "Next time, don't try to withhold the truth from me. Who knows what damage it might cause."

Maddie's eyes grew wide and her mouth dropped open. "What happened?"

"He hit Sam, hard." She turned her head toward Michael. "I know, the floor vibrated when he went down." She crossed her arms and sighed. "Anyway, now Sam is God only knows where. I was hoping maybe he would have come back and stayed with you."

"No, he never showed up last night." Maddie stubbed out her cigarette and leaned forward. "You have to find him and you two make up! He's your best friend, Michael!"

"I need more time, Ma. I...never mind." He stood, scraping his chair on the floor. "Fi, let's go."

"Michael, please, don't let it end this way."

He only glared at her and put on his sunglasses before leading Fiona out the front door.

* * *

At first, Michael thought that all the sorries in the world could never make up for betrayal. But time, as they say, worked to heal old wounds. He couldn't stay mad at Sam for long, especially after hearing his mother take responsibility. Their history ran too deep, and he knew that his friend was not only loyal, but he was also an honorable man. To think otherwise was, as Fiona put it, asinine. When Sam didn't show up at the loft to pick up his car and his things after several days of silence, Michael started to worry about him. He and Fiona drove to his apartment, but the manager had no idea where Sam was.

"He moved out a few days ago. Sorry, I don't know where he went. He gave me a PO box to send his security deposit to, but no other contact information."

"Thanks." Michael tried Sam's phone number for the hundredth time.

"_We're sorry, the number you have reached has been disconnected."_

Sam fell off the grid. Most people, if they wanted to disappear for awhile, would leave some kind of trail. But Sam Axe had been in covert ops; he knew how to fade away without detection. In desperation, Michael tried all their haunts, but none of the bartenders had seen him in weeks, since before the accident.

Now that he'd had time to think about it, he realized that Sam never meant for things to go the way they did. He was his best friend, and he would never intentionally hurt him. Although, that last punch did a good job. But Michael acknowledged to himself that he deserved it. He should have listened to Sam and accepted his apology.

He had to suspend his search when Fiona woke with a terrible headache. She broke down and took the meds the doctor prescribed, but it didn't help. He kept cold compresses on her head. She only writhed in pain.

"Fi, you can't go on like this. I'm taking you to the doctor."

"No, Michael. I'll be fine."

"No, you won't!" He caressed her face, trying to smooth the pain wrinkling her forehead. He spoke softly to her. "This could be something serious. I couldn't stand to lose you, Fi. I...I love you."

"Michael," she sighed. "What good am I to you? I can't see, so it's not like we can work together. Besides, without Sam, it wouldn't be the same anyway." She pulled out of his arms and lay back on the bed. "I've been thinking, maybe I should go home."

"Back to Ireland? You can't! There are people who want you dead!"

"Perhaps, 'tis better than living in darkness with a man who should be out doing his job, rather than sitting home to babysit me every day."

"Fi," Michael's voice cracked as he forced out her name. Then he took her in his arms again and kissed her. When he closed his eyes and touched her all over, he could only get a small taste of what it was like for her to live without sight. If there was a way, he would do anything to help her get it back. If there was a way to find their friend, he would do it. But so far, he'd been unsuccessful on both fronts.

* * *

Fiona lay perfectly still as the MRI machine slowly scanned her head and left photographic slices of it on a large sheet of film. Her head still pounded, and after two days of being stubborn and finally breaking down into tears, Michael refused to let her drag her heels anymore. He brought her in to the hospital.

"Dr. Kirby will look at these and be with you soon. You can both wait in here," a nurse said and directed them to a small exam room.

So Fiona and Michael waited silently, each of them thinking, afraid to speak their thoughts aloud and make them real. Michael sat beside her and took her hand in his, holding on tightly. She squeezed it, letting him know that she appreciated his support. If only she had been able to show Sam the same courtesy. Maybe he wouldn't have run off and left them. But she couldn't blame him. Michael threw him out and divorced himself from Sam and their decades long friendship. Who would want to come back after that? If she got her sight back, she would search for him. With or without Michael. But at this point, she was pretty certain that Michael would be running out the door ahead of her if she even suggested the idea.

"Ms. Glenanne, I'm Dr. Kirby. I'm a neurologist." He shook her hand and Michael's before sitting on a stool and rolling it up to where she sat on an exam table. "Is your head still hurting? What's the pain on a scale of one to ten?"

"Twelve. And nothing seems to help!"

"I've got good news, Ms. Glenanne. There's a reason why you're experiencing these headaches. You're not in danger or dying." He paused. "It's like how if you lay on your arm funny and it goes to sleep. You've pinched off a nerve. Then, when the pressure on it is relieved, eventually you get those annoying pins and needles. Your brain swelling went down a long time ago, but the optic nerves were pinched. Sometimes they never recover and the patient remains blind for life, but other times..."

"Are you saying I'll be able to see again?" Fiona's unseeing eyes widened in wonder.

"From what I saw on the MRI, the nerves are recovering. It might be as little as a few days or as much as a few months, but yes, I believe that you could get your sight back. It may not be what it was, but at least you'll be able to see."

"I guess sniper shooting might be out of the question," Fiona quipped with a smile.

Dr. Kirby laughed, thinking she was joking. Little did he realize that she was dead serious. "We'll just have to take this one step at a time and see what develops."

"Yes, we shall see, won't we." Fiona's smile turned into a grin as she emphasized the word.

Dr. Kirby smiled. "Until then, I'll give you something a little stronger for the pain, but there's really nothing else I can do."

Michael took the prescription the doctor tore off the pad. "Thanks, Doc. Thanks for giving us some real hope."

"You're welcome. Good luck, you two."

* * *

"Commander Axe, I thought I'd never see your sorry butt again."

It was the first time in weeks that Sam had been cold sober, because it wouldn't do to go crawling back to the admiral, begging forgiveness for sleeping with the man's wife, and then hoping beyond all hope that there was some way he could get back in. Even if it was as a civilian consultant. He had nothing else. He'd already tried losing himself in a bottle, and it didn't work.

"Sir, I just wanted to apologize for my indiscretions with your wife. I offer up no excuse other than stupidity."

"Fine, whatever." Admiral Maitland glared at Sam. Despite the casual attire, the man stood at attention as if no time had passed, and he shaved and even got a military haircut for the occasion. "Why did you come here? I can't imagine it was just to apologize. You're trying to suck up for something, aren't you."

"Well, Sir, I was hoping I could get a second chance."

"You've been discharged. You're through, Axe."

"I understand, Sir, that my military career is over. However, I would be willing to work in a civilian intelligence gathering capacity. Wherever you want me to go, Sir, I will be willing to go."

"You're desperate, huh? Sorry, I don't work with people I can't trust." He waved his hand. "You're dismissed, Commander."

"Sir. Yes, Sir!" Sam saluted, waited for the Admiral's response, and turned on his heel. Only when the office door closed on him did his shoulders slump. That was too hard, and he got shot down for all his efforts. The guy wouldn't even listen! Kind of reminded him of someone else he knew not so long ago. _Man, I need a beer!_

Sam restrained himself from getting drunk. Besides, he needed the cash to try his next plan. It involved going back to Miami, but only briefly. He called the number as he waited for his flight back to the city of sun and fun. "Hey, Virgil."

"Sam! How ya doin', pal?"

"Not so good." He proceeded to tell Virgil about the past several months, how Fi had lost her sight, and because of his own short sightedness, he lost his friends. Ever since then, he'd been wandering from place to place, picking up an odd job here and there, trying to survive.

"Well, you still got me, Sammy. How about I come and get you? You still have your passport, right?"

"Yeah, always, Virg."

"Perfect! I'll come back to the States, pick you up, and maybe we can swing by and take Michael's sweet mama along..."

"No no no! That's the last thing you want to do, unless you enjoy getting your butt kicked by Michael Westen. No, Maddie is not part of the plan."

"Oh." Virgil was disappointed. "But hey, maybe I can stop by and see her. You think that'd be okay?"

"Maybe. Just promise me, if you see Mike, you don't tell him where I am! I'll wait at the boat until you get back and then we'll high tail it to the Bahamas."

"Okay, Sammy. When does your flight get in?"

* * *

Yes, Michael needed luck if he was going to find Sam. As the months passed, chances of finding him narrowed until they were slim at best. Michael wanted to find him so badly. At the very least, he knew that their friend would want to know that Fi had good news. And he also hoped that maybe he could convince Sam to come back. His car was in Maddie's garage, along with everything he left behind, and now and then Michael would take it for a drive just to keep it running.

He was parking it in the garage when Maddie entered with Virgil, and both grinned from ear to ear. "Michael, look who's here!"

"Virgil! I thought you went back to the Bahamas." He'd hoped that Virgil went back to the Bahamas, anyway.

"Oh yeah, I've got myself a nice little charter fishing business there. It keeps me in hawaiian shirts and mojitos, that's for sure." He chuckled. "I just came back to see your mama for a day, and pick up a passenger." He winked. "He's somebody you know."

Maddie's grin widened. "At first Virgil didn't want to tell me, but I dragged it out of him."

Michael's eyebrow rose. He really didn't want to know how she did it.

"It's Sam, Michael!"

"Sam?" His eyes widened and his expression showed his surprise, as well as a little relief. "Where is he right now?"

"Probably at the boat. He was just coming in while I was heading over here to see Maddie. He said he would wait there until I came back, and..."

Virgil was talking to air, because Michael took off running. He slid over the Charger's hood, threw the door open, and got in. With squealing tires, he took off for the marina.

* * *

Sam threw his gear, which he kept in an old worn duffel bag, into the hold. He debated sticking around topside, then decided he should take cover below. Didn't want Mike to inadvertently see him. It was pretty pathetic to have to hide from his ex-friends, but that was his life. Maybe once he reached the islands he would be better off finding a new place to blend in and just live without getting close to anyone. It was too dangerous. It hurt too much. But he had something to take care of first, and he would finish the job and then completely disappear. The prospect of being alone didn't really appeal to him, but it was his only option.

Little did he know it was too late to hide. From across the parking lot, an ex-spy sat in a classic black car with binoculars trained on him. All he had to do was get out and walk slowly toward Sam in order to sneak up on him, because if his old friend knew he was being watched, he would be gone like a shot.

Michael's phone rang. He looked down at the screen and saw it was Fiona. "Yeah, Fi."

"Michael, I entered your number in my phone. I didn't use the shortcut you gave me."

"Thats' great, Fi. You're learning your phone by touch."

"No, Michael. I...I saw the numbers." She was weeping, but they were tears of joy. Her words came out raspy through the tears. "I can see again."

"I'm on my way home, Fi."

"What about Sam? Maddie called and said Virgil has seen Sam and he was giving him a ride to the Bahamas."

"Yes. I've seen him, Fi. He's on Virgil's boat."

"How does he look?"

Michael smiled. "Why don't you find out for yourself? I'll get him and bring him back to the loft with me."

"Be careful. He may not go willingly."

"I know." Michael smirked. "I'll deck him again if I have to."

Michael hung up the phone and figured out a roundabout way to get to the boat without alerting Sam. When he was almost in the stern, he noted that Sam must have gone down into the hold. He climbed aboard and took a step down. Suddenly, a hand reached for his wrist, grasped onto it tightly, and threw him down the steps. Michael curled up into a ball at the bottom and found Sam's Beretta staring him in the face.

"What are you doing here, Westen?"

_What, no Mike or Mikey? _He tried on a smile. "Sam, it's good to see you too." He stood up warily, shocked and pained by the cold steely expression on Sam's face. The gun stayed trained on him, which was more disappointing than anything.

"I doubt you came here to chat."

"I was hoping to bring you back to the loft with me."

"You can keep my stuff. I don't need it anymore."

Michael noted that Sam must have lost at least forty pounds. He hadn't been this lean since their military days. Six months had gone by, and Sam had changed not just his physique. There was a hardness to him that he didn't recognize, and he wondered if it was their fault. Michael missed him more than he could ever put into words. But he needed to talk fast, because if the look in his friend's eyes was any indication, he was ready to either turn Michael into fish food or bolt.

"Sam, I'm sorry. I should never have doubted that you had my best interests at heart. And Fi's." He braved a smile. "You took really good care of Fi while I was gone. She told me everything you did. We'll always be grateful for that."

"Yeah, you have a funny way of showing it, Westen. You kicked me out of your life. So why all of a sudden do you want me to come crawling back?"

"I don't want you to crawl back. If anybody should be doing any crawling, it's me. I was wrong."

"Water under the bridge."

"That's right. And if you can forgive and forget, so can I." He paused. "Besides, Fi wants to see you."

"She wants to see me, huh?"

"Yes." His smile turned into a grin. "Sam, she can see again. She just called me a little while before I came here, and I was so excited I wanted to run right home to her, but she asked me to bring you along."

Something in Sam's expression softened. "That's great, M...Westen. Why don't you just run off to Fiona then?"

"Not without you."

"Sorry, Westen. I can't." He suddenly turned away, grabbed his duffel, and tore up the stairs as he tucked his weapon away to conceal it.

"Sam! No!" He ran up after him, but Sam used the duffel bag as a soft battering ram that hit Michael and sent him bumping back down into the hold. By the time he got topside, Sam was nowhere to be seen.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"Virgil, what were you thinking?"

"I'm sorry, Sam. Maddie...well, she can be quite persuasive." His lips held the faintest of smiles even as he gave Sam a contrite look.

Sam knew what he meant. Maddie was the queen of manipulation, and if she weren't Michael's mom, she'd probably do well as an intelligence officer. He let out a sigh and took a sip of his mojito. "Okay, what's done is done. Now, are you sure Mike hasn't been hanging around the marina since I left?"

"Positive."

"Good. I can't have him interfering, not right now. My bosses will skin me alive if this doesn't go off without a hitch." He glanced around the area, checking out more than the bathing beauties. "This cost us some time, Virg. Can you make it up tonight?"

"No problem, Sammy. If we leave right now, we'll get back in plenty of time to pick up your friends."

"Good." He slapped a fifty on the bill and winked at the server. "Keep the change, sweetie."

She grinned at him. "Thanks, Mr. Finley."

"You're welcome." He stood, straightened his suit jacket, and said, "Let's get going, Virgil. I'm itching to catch some z's, closely followed by bagging my favorite Russians, Curly, Larry, and Moe." Referring to them by those names was easier than pronouncing their real monikers, and it kept things on the down-low in case there were prying ears.

He and Virgil walked to the marina under cover of darkness punctuated by the occasional light over the boardwalk. Sam strained his eyes peering into the darkness looking for Michael. He felt like a horse's ass for hitting him, but he had to make sure Mike kept his distance. At least until this mission was over. If his quarry got wind of him, or heard that Michael Westen was sniffing around, they would shut everything down and Sam's mission would fall apart. The higher ups in the NSA would be very unhappy with him if that happened, but the repercussions would go well beyond Sam's sorry butt. What he hoped to attain could go a long way toward preventing a compromise in the country's defenses, so there was no room for failure.

"Sammy will you help untie us?" Virgil stood at the controls and prepared to start up the boat.

"Sure." He glanced around, still watching warily, as he untied the boat from the slip and coiled up the ropes. He helped Virgil shove off. "I'm going downstairs to change, and maybe get some sleep."

"You do that, Sammy. I'll let you know when we get there."

Changed into casual clothes, Sam stretched out on the bunk and waited for the jostling of the bow put him to sleep. _So Fi got her sight back. That's great news! I sure wish I could have been there to see Mike's face the first time she saw him. Then again, it was probably a good thing I wasn't, because I'd have to beat a quick retreat with those two lovebirds all over each other. _He laughed to himself. But then a sense of sadness crept in. All those months he was away...

He missed their formidable team terribly, although having to survive on his own wits and not rely on anyone else was a growing experience. Sam realized that he had gotten soft in some of his skills, not to mention his body. He'd been having too much fun and not staying in shape. That changed when he was forced into a long-term mission that required a lot of down time. Time to take care of himself.

Sam flipped onto his back and threw his arm over his eyes. It cut the glow of a light in the hold that Virgil kept on just to see if necessary. When he blocked the light, Sam was reminded again of Fiona and how she handled her temporary blindness. He'd hoped she wouldn't have had to put up with it for as long as she did. Now she could see. He didn't know how well, but hopefully she regained her full capacity. _I wonder when Mike will include her in jobs, if he's still doing that. Maybe, after this mission, he'll take me back and let me be a partner again. If not, it'll just keep working contract for the __NSA. The pay's better than my pension, and the perks can't be beat._

Sam finally relaxed, thinking about his present digs up in DC. The agency put him in a high rise condo, well furnished, and well stocked with all the food and drink he wanted, and he had access to a hot little sports car. As part of his cover, he was required to spend time around the city attending soirees and socials, rubbing elbows with Russians and other former members of the Eastern bloc, gaining their confidence. They thought he was an influential businessman with ties to Senators and Congressmen, a source of sensitive information for their governments. Yes, Chuck Finley had ties to the government, but not the kind they wanted.

It was a plum job, but he hated the weather. Right about now, they were having a snowstorm, so he was glad to be on his way to the Bahamas, if only to escape the cold! When he returned, if Chuck was still needed, he hoped to find Natalia at one of those parties. She would be happy to give him a nice welcome home celebration, just the two of them. As a native of colder climates, she was an asset who knew how to keep him warm.

Sam awoke to the gentle rise and fall of the boat. _We're not moving. Are we there? _"Virgil?" He glanced over and saw the other man sleeping in the bunk across the tiny space. He heard voices, Russian voices. His friends were here. Sam pushed off the bunk, straightened himself a little and ran his fingers through his hair to comb it before going up on deck.

He put on a smile, and in Russian, he spoke to them. "Morning, fellas! Ready for a trip out to sea to fish?"

"Yes, and perhaps we can exchange a little knowledge," Bartoszewicz said with a return smile that didn't seem to meet his eyes. They were cold ice blue. He climbed aboard with his cohorts Korchinskaia and Saratov. Sam never got their first names; since he had no plans to make them drinking buddies, he didn't care. They only knew him by Finley, and the feeling seemed be mutual in the getting-to-know-you department.

"Hey, Virg! Fire up this baby and get us out on the ocean!"

Virgil flew off the bunk and hurried upstairs, tucking his shirt into his bermuda shorts. Sam dressed in better clothes, but still casual enough for a fishing expedition, so he knew he had to be at least half presentable. With a grin, Virgil untied the boat, placed a straw hat on his head, and started up the engines. His Russian was pretty rusty, but what he picked up made him smile. Sam was in with these guys, and they promised him all sorts of things in exchange for information. They started with a small briefcase full of cash. Virgil glanced over his shoulder and had to restrain himself from whistling at the stacks of hundred dollar bills.

"Hey, you, keep your eye on where we're going," Finley barked at Virgil and glared at him.

Virgil nodded nervously and turned back to drive. He wasn't used to his friend talking to him like that, but he knew it was just part of the job. Later on, they'd laugh about it over beers and mojitos.

Everything was going so well, and they even did a little fishing just for appearances sake. Finley set his pole into a bracket and turned to Bartoszewicz. "I hope that you're pleased with the information I've given you, Mr. Bartoszewicz."

"Oh, you don't know how happy I am! I hope that you will be very happy with the...compensation we've given you. Perhaps you can buy an island in the Bahamas and retire."

Finley laughed. "Oh, that would be nice."

"Perhaps then you can get Michael Westen off your back."

Finley took a careful sip of his drink. "Westen? What's he got to do with anything?"

"You know who I am talking about, yes?"

"Oh, believe me, I know Michael Westen! He's been a pain in my rear for years!" That wasn't stretching the truth too far, he thought with a slight smile. "What made you bring him up?"

"When you were in Miami, he was looking for you."

Finley looked surprised. "He was?"

"Yes, and he found you on this boat. You were below for some time with him. What did you two discuss?"

"Hey, the less I talk with Westen, the better. That guy is annoyingly nosy. I just wanted him to stay out of my business, that's all."

"That's not how I heard it." Saratov and Korchinskaia slowly stood and aimed their guns at him. "Now, Mr. Finley, if that's who you really are, what did you hope to gain by getting into our confidence?"

"A little compensation for all the crap I've had to deal with working for the government. They owe me more than a measly little pension. By sharing with you guys, I get a little extra for my efforts." What he really wanted was confirmation that these were the men stealing secrets from the government, and now that he had it, he just had to stay alive long enough to report to his superiors.

Bartoszewicz pulled out his own weapon and gestured for Finley to stand. "I don't believe you. The technology you've given us is decades old."

"But it's still good. Hey, what...why are you doing this? I thought we had something great going here!" He threw his hands up and let them fall to his sides with a resounding slap. "Oh yeah, there he goes again! Westen screws up everything! I swear, the next time I see him, I'm gonna kill him. Then he'll no longer be a pain in my side. Or yours."

"The only way you'll see him again is if you can swim all the way back to Miami, but I think you'll find that a little difficult with a bullet in your gut, Mr. Finley. Or should I call you Sam...Sam Axe?"

Bartoszewicz fired his gun, but Sam moved to his right just in the nick of time. He barreled into Saratov and sent the man to the deck. The he kicked out and knocked Bartoszewicz's feet from under him. He went down half on Sam. Virgil pulled out a gun and held it on Korchinskaia.

"Hold it! Drop that gun into the ocean," he ordered him as he held the barrel inches from the man's head. Korchinskaia complied. Then he clubbed the Russian over the head and he fell to the deck, out cold. Virgil tied him at his hands and feet and then moved in to help Sam.

It was two against one, and Sam was glad he'd gotten back into shape. Otherwise, he would have been dead. He got to his feet to fight them, and just before Virgil was free to assist, he kicked at Saratov and caught him in the throat. The man clawed at his neck as he tumbled backwards and did a very ungraceful back flip into the water. Sam didn't have time to check on him, because Bartoszewicz fired again. The bullet grazed his temple and sent him sprawling backwards right into Virgil's waiting arms.

"Get him, Sammy!" Virgil pushed him back upright, and Sam launched himself at the Russian. He grabbed his shirt front and twisted his own body, throwing him over his shoulder onto the deck. Bartoszewicz kicked and made contact with the sensitive part of Sam's shin, sending him to his knees. Virgil tried to flip the man over to kiss the deck, but Bartoszewicz caught him in the stomach and sent him reeling. Bartoszewicz kicked again. His shoe hit Sam in the head like a brick wall.

Virgil got hold of a gun. The second Sam flopped to the deck and Bartoszewicz got a stranglehold on him, trying to squeeze the life out of him, Virgil aimed for his head.

"Careful, you might hit your friend."

"You underestimate my aim." Virgil fired the gun.

Bartoszewicz went limp, his unseeing eyes staring up at the sky. Checking on Korchinskaia and finding him still unconscious, he hurried to Sam's side. "Sammy! Come on, wake up, Sammy. Say something!" He tapped at his cheeks, but there was no response. There was a pulse at his neck, and he was breathing, but barely. Bartoszewicz was a strong man. Thoughts of a crushed or bruised windpipe caused Virgil concern. He jumped to his feet and picked up his cell phone, which he'd left on the console. With the other hand, he turned the ignition, got the engines roaring to life, and sped for the mainland. "Yes, yes. I'm at sea right now, but in about ten minutes I'll be at the Coconut Quay marina on board the Maddie Mae. We need medical help, and the police. Now!"

When he pulled into the slip, the police and an ambulance waited. The police took the Russian away, and as they got off the boat, Virgil advised, "You better talk to someone at the US Consulate about him. Have them contact Director Lowell in Washington DC."

"Yes, Sir." They led Korchinskaia away.

Virgil turned and watched the paramedics working on Sam. All the while he wondered what he could have done to prevent this. They were outmanned by one, but in the old days, he and Sam could have taken them all without getting a blister on their trigger fingers. Times had changed. He was getting too old for this stuff, and he only did it as a favor to Sam. If his friend survived, he either had to get back with Michael Westen and the gang, or hang it up. Next time he might not escape with his life.

Sam groaned and slowly came back to consciousness. He blinked and reached up to rub his eyes. Whatever happened, he must have been out a long time because it was completely dark outside. He heard voices, and they were talking to him.

"Sir, now you got to stay on your back." Hands pressed him to the deck.

"Where am I? Where's Virgil?"

"I'm right here, Sammy. See?"

Sam heard his voice, but it was too dark. "Will someone please get a light? I can't see a damn thing!"

"What? Sir, it's in the middle of the afternoon."

Sam felt something pass before his face fast enough to leave a slight breeze. In that instant, he knew. He was as blind as Fi had been. It was too much for his brain to process, and he went out again.

* * *

Michael sighed as he stared at the empty slip. Any minute now, he expected Virgil to pull in. Fiona stood next to him, and she glanced up, studied the look on his face, and gripped his hand in hers. It was good to be able to see again, and Fiona relished every moment. But witnessing Michael so distraught rattled her, and for one brief moment she wished for a bit of blindness to avoid such pain.

Virgil called Michael the night before and told him everything that happened. Fortunately, Sam would be okay. He would have trouble talking for awhile with a bruised larynx, but the more serious injury was in his brain. The medical facilities weren't as good as in Miami, so when he returned, Sam was scheduled for a battery of tests at the hospital. Hopefully they would give them good news, that like Fiona he would regain his sight.

She shook her head. It seemed almost too freakish for lightning to strike twice. And what a cruel bolt it was! They heard the sound of an engine and their eyes locked on the marina. The Maddie Mae, a name that perturbed Michael and had once amused Fiona, cruised into the lane and Virgil parked smoothly. He tied off the boat and the couple surged forward.

"Where is he," Michael asked as his feet hit the deck and he glanced around, and tried to peer down into the darkness below.

"Hang on, don't get your shorts in a twist." Virgil stepped down and soon emerged with Sam ahead of him.

At first glance, they never would have known anything was wrong. Sam had donned his usual sunglasses, and he wore a cool expression on his face, but it only served as a false front to the conflict and confusion battering him inside.

"Sammy, Michael and Fi are here. They're going to take you home."

As Sam stepped on deck, he stumbled a little, kept himself upright, and held out his hands trying to make contact with something, anything. "Home? Where's home?"

"Virgil..."

"Uh, he's just kind of mixed up right now, Mike, but it's nothing serious! The doctors said that'll probably clear up in a day or so along with the vision."

"We'll see. We all know how that went the last time." Michael slowly reached out to touch Sam's arm. As he did so, he spoke. "Hey Sam, it's me, Michael."

"Mike?" He almost cried, he was so happy to hear his friend's voice and the concerned tone in it. "Where are we going?"

"We need to take you to the hospital first, Sam. Then when they clear you, you have a choice. You can stay with Fi and me, or by my Ma's."

"I want to go home."

"Where is your home?" Fiona asked as she stood beside him and placed a gentle hand on his elbow.

He had to think. In Miami, he had no place to call home. He gave up his apartment, and he had no relatives in town. DC wasn't home, either. With this disability, his career with the NSA was finished. All he had to do was pack a bag of his stuff, leave everything else behind, and then he was a homeless man, plain and simple. A blind homeless man at that. Even in prime physical condition, he would be dog meat in no time out on the streets.

He breathed out. "I...I don't have anywhere to go. I don't have a home."

Fiona's fingers wrapped around his upper arm and she laid her other hand against his shoulder. "Sam, you'll always have a home with us."

"No." He shook his head. "It would be too crowded for me there. And Maddie...too stifling, if you know what I mean."

"We know." Michael smiled. "Come on, Sam. Let's get you to the hospital first, and then we'll think about what to do from there."

They kept him for two days to run tests and determine how serious the situation was. Unlike Fi, his optic nerves suffered damage between the head trauma and the cutting off of his airway for a brief time. Unfortunately, the prognosis wasn't as hopeful for him.

"There are some nerve regeneration treatments we can try, Mr. Axe. But first, I'm afraid you'll have to cope for a couple of months, see if it clears up on its own. It will also allow you time to get your strength back so you can endure the treatments. Surgery might be required as well. We just have to wait and see."

"Thanks, Doc."

"I'm sorry. I wish I had better news." The doctor's hand gripped Sam's arm in wordless sympathy and he left the room. He closed the door behind him to allow Sam some privacy to grieve over his loss.

Sam was alone with the harsh reality hovering over him. Now he truly grasped what Fi went through, although he would have preferred to do it a different way. He felt the streaks of wetness on his cheeks, but he pulled them away abruptly. He couldn't have anyone seeing him like this. Crying wasn't going to make anything better. Once they released him, he would do what he could to adapt, because Sam was stubborn. He loved life as a sighted man, and he wasn't going to sit around and let that life be stolen away, not without a fight.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Michael waited for Jesse to answer the phone. After the end of the mission that led to the blowup with Sam, their fourth man was sent out of the country again. No one knew where he was, as usual, but when he returned he called Michael. Now Michael was trying to get a hold of him, because he had a plan for Sam and he needed his help.

"Yo, Mike. What's up, man?"

"How was your trip, Jess?"

"You know typical airlines. A cattle car would be better." He laughed. "So, what's happening?" Michael gave him a quick rundown on Sam's situation.

"Aw man, that's...that's rough. So, uh, what's he gonna do?"

"Well, for starters, we need to find him a place to stay. He feels like he'll be in the way at our place, and my mom is too hands on for him, so I have an idea. That little place downstairs that Sugar lived in is open, and Sergei's willing to let it go for a cheap rate. I say we rent it for Sam, fix it up a little, and he'll be in his own place but yet be close enough if he has trouble."

"By fixing up, what are we talking about?"

"Well, that hole in the wall where I broke in is still there, and the holes in the door when I shot Sugar's knee. But other than that, I was thinking we could put in some sort of surveillance equipment. Just until we know Sam can be alone without tripping over something and doing more damage to himself."

"Ahh, good plan. But you better tell him what you're doing. Don't need any more anger over a lack of communication. Right?" Jesse knew about what happened with Fiona's blindness and how no one told Michael.

"Absolutely."

* * *

"Absolutely not! Mike, I appreciate the thought, but you are not bugging my new place!" Despite his inability to see, Sam's face showed every emotion as usual, and this time it displayed his revulsion at such an idea.

"We're not bugging it. We'll just put up some cameras, and..."

Sam let out a short, mirthless laugh. "That's supposed to be better than a bug? Really, Mike? Come on!"

"Boys, enough!" Fiona held up her hand to stop Michael, and put another on Sam's shoulder. "There's no need for cameras and bugs. I'll stay with Sam for a week or two, just long enough to help him get situated, like he did for me."

"Fi...Mike, you don't have a problem with that, do you? I mean, it would just be in the daytime anyway. At night, I can take care of myself."

"And we're right upstairs. We can figure out a communication tool and let's leave it at that, shall we?"

"Good idea, Fi! Mike, you should marry that woman. She's too smart to let slip away." He was glad he couldn't see Michael's reaction, but he could just imagine Fiona grinning like a Cheshire cat. The silence was too long, so he continued. "They're letting me out of here tomorrow. Will everything be ready?"

"We'll make sure it is. Fi, stay here with Sam. Jesse and I have work to do, but he's picking me up so I'm leaving the Charger here. Just don't go off on a high speed chase, okay?"

Sam laughed, and Fiona elbowed him in the ribs. "Ow! Hey Mike, maybe this isn't such a good idea. She's abusing me already." He turned his face toward her, his brows furrowed. "And I was so good to you!"

"Oh brother," Michael exhaled as he left the room. "Please don't kill each other while I'm away."

Sam listened, and when Michael's footsteps seemed to be gone, he asked Fiona with a whisper. "Is he gone?"

"Yes." She whispered back. Then giggled.

"Alright!" He rubbed his hands together. "Hey Fi, did you bring those cards?"

"Yes, I did." She grinned, feeling strange that he couldn't see her mirth.

"Oh, great! Now we can settle this once and for all that I did not cheat when we played poker!"

"Yes, we'll definitely see the truth, won't we." She paused, the smile disappearing from her face. "It doesn't bother you if I use that word, does it?"

He had to think about it for a few seconds. "You know, it doesn't bother me at all. Strange, huh?"

"To each his own, I guess. I'll deal."

They spent a couple hours playing poker and gin rummy, and Sam wound up winning most of the games. He grinned in triumph when Fiona tired of playing. "See, I told you, I didn't cheat!"

"Oh, if you're going to gloat about it, I'll rethink helping you and leave you to stumble around on your own."

"Hah! You know if Maddie found out, she'd be over just like that." He snapped his fingers.

He was right, and that should have irritated her, but it didn't. What upset her was the idea that Maddie would actually do it. No one else knew as well as she and Sam all the little things he did to make things easier for her, so she should be the one to reciprocate. She owed him. "After Michael and Jesse get your place ready, I'll go to the market and pick up groceries for you, and I'll set them up in the fridge in the exact same placement you used for me. I'll figure out the cupboards and we'll go over them together so you know where everything is."

Sam grinned. "Now that we got the dry run out of the way, this'll be a walk in the park, won't it?"

With a straight face she replied. "Not without an escort, Sam. We don't want you getting lost."

"Ha, good one, Fi." He fell silent, thinking about some of the challenges he would face. One of them was how to spend time outdoors. He didn't want to give that up. Until he could either figure out how to do it safely or he regained his sight, fishing was out of the question. He let out a sigh and lay back against the pillows.

"Tired, Sam?"

"No, just thinking about all the things I want to do but can't. Wondering if I'll ever be able to do them again. Just a simple thing like going outside. Or going to the store. How do I do that?"

"One step at a time. Maybe this'll all be over before you even have to worry about shopping alone."

"I hope you're right, Fi, 'cause I want to go back to work with you and Mike in the worst way. All that time I spent away made me realize what I was missing."

"That reminds me." Fiona played with a strand of hair as she asked, "What were you doing while you were gone?"

He gave her a coy smile. "Classified, every bit of it, Fi. Sorry." He paused and his expression turned sly. "Well, almost all of it. The rest, you don't wanna know."

Fiona rolled her eyes. "I should have known."

Sam reached out and touched her face, feeling the reaction, and laughed. He was surprised when she put her hand over his and held onto it. He sobered and sat waiting, not sure what was coming.

Fiona watched the smile drain from his face, replaced by confusion. Seeing him like this tore something inside her. She knew everything he was feeling, because she'd been there. When she tried to talk to Michael about it, he couldn't comprehend. He tried wearing a blindfold and picked his way around the loft, but he could never truly get how lost she felt. Sam understood. Hearing him talk about the things he loved to do that were now barred from him made her heart ache.

"If this goes on for awhile, as soon as we get you acclimated to living in your apartment without our assistance, we'll work on getting you out into the world. Okay?"

"Okay. I wonder how long I'd have to wait for a seeing eye dog."

"Sam, that's not necessary! You won't be blind that long!"

He turned to her and his empty eyes glistened. "How do you know, Fi? Do you have a crystal ball somewhere that told you that?"

A nurse entered the room, right on time to break the moment. "Miss, I'm sorry. Mr. Axe needs some time to rest."

"Sam, don't worry about this. Trust me, you're not going to need a seeing eye dog!" She stood, patted his hand and set it on the rail. "I'll be back later."

Sam trusted her, but he wanted to move ahead and the only way to do that was to open up every chance to experience life, even without his eyesight. After everyone had gone, he felt around with his hands until he found the night stand. Inside, he knew they put his cell phone, and the bluetooth earpiece was there as well. Smiling, he turned on the phone and hit the hands free button. There were some things he didn't need to see.

"Call Barry."

"Hey, Sam! I thought you were in the hospital, man." His voice suddenly brightened. "Did you get your sight back?"

"You heard about me going blind."

"Yeah, Mike told everybody you guys know, I think. So, is everything back to normal?"

"No, Barry, it's not. I'm still here, going crazy. I can't wait until they let me go." He gave Barry, their money laundering pal with a heart of gold, the rundown on his situation.

"Wow, Fi's gonna be watching you. You're a lucky, lucky man, my friend."

"It's not like that, Barry, and you know it! Listen, I didn't call to talk about Fi. I need your help with something."

"Sure, anything for you Sam."

"Look into what I gotta do to get a seeing eye dog."

Barry choked on whatever he was drinking. "You're serious?"

"Yeah. I'm not going to let this confine me to my apartment. I won't."

Barry heard loud and clear the desperation in Sam's voice. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to be blind and lose the freedom to come and go. But for a moment, he tried, and he didn't like it. Not one bit. "Okay, Sam, I'll see what I can find out. I've got some clients who know people, maybe we can get you on an inside track or something."

"Thanks, Barry. You're a prince, you know that?"

"Ah, thank me later when I pull this off. Talk to you later, Sam."

"Later, Barry."

Sam lay back and closed his eyes. The strangest part about being blind was that he didn't know what to do, whether to keep his eyes closed or open. Fi liked to wear her sunglasses most of the time. When she didn't, her blue green eyes stared vacantly, and it was kind of creepy. He hoped his didn't look that way. If he could, he would check it out in the mirror. Then he remembered the day Fi had hair troubles, and how she faced the mirror uselessly. He wouldn't make that same mistake. He would adopt the sunglass strategy so he'd look cool but no one would know that he was blind. Although, the dog would be a dead giveaway. It didn't matter in the end. What he cared about the most was becoming self-sufficient and mobile. Later on he would see how many ladies he could pick up just on the sympathy vote alone. Yeah, the guide dog wouldn't hurt in that endeavor.

* * *

Sam challenged himself the moment he set foot in his new apartment. He concentrated on Fiona's voice describing the meager furnishings that came from Maddie's storage. To the left of the entrance was an overstuffed chair, and if he turned left and walked past it toward the wall, a couch sat directly in front of him. To the right from there, another chair. Past the chair and he found a small table with four chairs, and beyond it a kitchenette with a stove to the left, refrigerator to the right, stocked exactly as Fiona said it would be, and the sink was in the middle flanked by cabinets on the bottom and cupboards overhead. To the right of the fridge ran a short hall with a bathroom straight ahead at the end, and to the left, a large bedroom. They furnished it with a queen size bed to the right of the door, and a dresser on the left wall. Around the bed on the other side was a closet and a night stand next to the bed.

"Just so you know, I organized your clothes by color, like a rainbow, and there are alligator clips between each color." Fiona opened the closet door and took Sam's hand, laying it atop the rack. So all your red, pink and salmon shirts are here, the orangy ones here, and so on. White and black are on the end."

"Hmmm, I like it. What about the pants?"

"Same system." She directed his hand to the lower rail. "Jeans on the left, khakis in the middle, whites to the right, followed by gray, brown, and black slacks. If you're ever not sure about something, just dress and call me down and I'll take a look at it."

"Thanks. I wonder what I'm going to do when I have to take care of my own laundry."

"We'll worry about that later."

Sam sighed at the end of the tour. "Well, it's not much, but for now, it's home. Thanks, Fi. And tell Mike, Jesse and Maddie thanks, too."

"You're welcome, Sam. You make it sound like I'm leaving you to yourself now."

"If you don't mind...yeah."

"But Sam, you need help!"

"Jeez, Fi, if I wanted that kind of help I'd call one of my lady friends." He raised his hand and placed it on the side of her face, his own lighting up at her incomprehension. "I'm going to take a nap. I don't need anybody's help with that."

"Oh. Um..." She peeled Sam's hand off her face and wiped off the embarrassment. "Do you need any of your medication?"

"No, thanks. I'm fine. Just kind of beat." He turned away from her, and she watched as he stepped to the edge of the bed, using his right leg to gauge when he was there. He sat and removed his shoes.

"Do you want the door open?"

He shrugged. "Doesn't make any difference to me. Thanks for asking, though."

She left it open, thinking that if he needed her help, it would be easier to hear him. While he slept, she busied herself in the kitchen preparing something for dinner. Michael was joining them, so she made enough for three with leftovers for Sam's lunch tomorrow. Until she could figure out how to make the stove blind friendly, keeping microwavable things around was the best strategy. She had a feeling he wasn't going to want her around much longer than necessary, but she would still cook for him until he got irritated with her meddling.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Having Fiona around to help was nice, but it quickly became constrictive. She took him out on walks and to the mall when he got tired of staying inside, and one day she and Michael took him to the beach. Walking across the sand was sensory heaven for him. He always loved the sensation of shifting sand beneath his feet, but now, he swore he could detect every single grain as its own entity. The ocean breeze smelled of salt and fish, and the waves crashing made him want to wade into the ocean, but without Fi beside him, not even his little toe would get wet. She was becoming worse than a mother hen, and it grated on him.

It didn't help that the night before Barry called after Fi was gone, and he told him that one of his clients was able to get Sam a dog by Friday. He would have to spend time training with the dog, but after that he would have the ability to go out on his own and move about his home without Fi tracking his every move. He had to tell his friends. He knew Fi wouldn't like it, but he hoped that Michael would be supportive.

"Sam, Michael went and got some frozen yogurt," Fiona said as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "You want some?"

"Sure." He held out his left hand and she placed a cup in it. "Thanks, Mike." He moved it to his right hand and his left hovered until he found the spoon. He expected Fiona to lead his hand there, but she didn't. Maybe she was starting to get the idea that she was doing too much for him, so she backed off.

"You know, Sam, you've been making amazing progress." Michael said as he scraped his spoon across the mound of yogurt. "I suppose I really shouldn't be surprised. You worked with Fi, so you have a lot of this down already."

"Yeah, that and I'm determined to hack it on my own. No offense, Fi. I love ya like a sister, but a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. For me, that's be on my own."

"I understand, Sam, but are you really ready?"

He smiled. "I won't mind if you want to do the laundry for me, but as far as everything else...yeah. I think I am." He paused, deciding now was the time to spring his surprise. "Barry helped me get a seeing eye dog. I have to go train with it for a couple of weeks up in Boca, but after that, I'll really be able to be on my own."

"Wow, Sam." The tone of Michael's voice shocked Sam. It wouldn't have sounded more astonished if he'd suddenly sucker punched him.

"Yeah, Mikey, little Sammy's all grown up and he can take care of himself." He chuckled. "Not that I didn't appreciate everything. It's just..." He sighed and turned toward the ocean breeze. "It's really important for me to live as much like I did before, so that if things change, you know, I get my sight back...then it won't be so hard to transition."

"Sam, it's only been a month. My blindness didn't last that long."

"And that's my point. Fi, I've got damage. Yours was just from a swelled brain. Even the doctor won't give me odds that I'll get it back without surgery and treatments." He shook his head. "No, it's time for me to plan for the long haul. I need a guide dog."

"We understand, Sam." Michael placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "When do you have to go to Boca?"

"Friday."

"Okay. I'll drive you up there."

Sam choked back a lump of emotion. "Thanks, man. I'm really glad I didn't screw things up with you."

"Me too." Michael couldn't imagine what Sam would have done without him and Fi. He supposed that Jesse and Maddie would have helped. But no one had the insight that Fiona had. Some of the setups she devised in Sam's apartment were ingenious. He never would have thought of them. As much as they wanted to help, Michael also understood Sam's need for independence. He would have felt the same if he were in his friend's shoes.

* * *

In the two weeks Sam was gone, Fiona was restless. Every day, she fought giving him a call to see if he was okay. But it wouldn't have mattered, because he was told to leave his cell phone at home. No distractions. Just him and his dog twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. By the time they came home, they would be like an extension of each other. For some reason, that made Fiona a little jealous.

Michael went to pick him up, and when they pulled into the courtyard, Fiona and Maddie waited with big smiles, even though he couldn't see them. Sam was grinning as he opened the door, got out and pulled the seat back. A light yellow lab with friendly eyes and a big doggy smile hopped out and sat beside Sam's feet. Sam put the seat back into place, took a couple steps back as he grasped the harness, and slammed the door. Then he and the dog came around the car to where the two women stood.

"Welcome home, Sam!" Maddie reached out and embraced him with both arms, and he wrapped one around her.

"Fi?"

"I'm here, Sam. Welcome home." She hugged him, and then they stepped apart. "Michael took your bag to the apartment. I'll worry about your laundry later."

"Thanks, Fi." He gripped the harness, glanced down to where the dog sat on her haunches, and said, "Ladies, I'd like to introduce you to the new woman in my life. Her name is Tana. Tana, this is Fiona, and Maddie."

Tana looked up at the two and smiled, her tongue lolling to the side.

"Sam, she's so cute!" Maddie exclaimed and stooped down to pet her.

Fi stopped her with a hand. "Uh, Maddie, no. When she's working, she shouldn't be petted."

"Oh, it's okay when we're stopped like this. But if she's leading me somewhere, no, she should be left alone. Although, she's a pro, so there shouldn't be any issues with her getting distracted. Her previous owner was a woman who had surgery on her eyes and she regained her sight. She could have kept Tana, but she didn't think it was fair to keep a guide dog when someone else could use her." He smiled. "I got lucky."

"You sure did, Sam. She's adorable."

"Well, I better take Tana inside and show her around. Then she needs to go for a walk." He grinned. "So do I."

"Do you need someone..." Fiona stopped and shook her head. "Sorry, Sam. It's going to take some time to get used to the fact that you can go alone, well, with Tana, anyway."

"Yeah, I know." His face lit up for the first time in months. "I'll see you later!" He gently tugged at the harness. "Okay, Tana, let's go home."

Fiona and Maddie stood with Michael and watched Sam confidently stride across the courtyard to his apartment. He reached into his pocket, pulled out his keys, and was able to find the right one through his sense of touch. Then he unlocked the door and went inside with Tana.

Fiona squinted. "Why do I suddenly feel so useless?"

"I never thought he would adapt this well, and so fast," Michael remarked with admiration.

"That's our Sam." Maddie pulled out a cigarette and lit it. "I don't know about you, but I'm going to go shopping. I'll see you all later."

Sam showed Tana the lay of the apartment and went through the mental checklist of everything he was supposed to do when he got her home. His head hurt a little, but he took something for the pain and decided he couldn't wait. He had to take Tana out for a walk. As he put the bottle of aspirin back into the medicine cabinet, he silently thanked Fiona again for her sense of organization. Tana was trained to provide her master with direction to the correct medications, but because of Fiona's thoughtfulness, he didn't need that kind of help.

"Come on Tana, let's go outside."

Sam walked with her to the corner and turned right. When they reached a curb, she stopped, waited for traffic, and led him across the street. They'd practiced this many a time in the past two weeks, but it still amazed Sam at how fluidly she worked. Some kids darted in front of him coming off an alley and rode their bikes on the sidewalk, and Tana stopped him in time to avoid being hit.

"Good girl, Tana." He gave her a pat on the head and continued walking.

The humidity made him sweat, but the sun felt too good to stop walking. He listened to all the sounds around him. They neared the coast, and he marveled at how many things he missed because he was too concerned with seeing. As he walked along the street where Carlito's was, he heard people talking about everything imaginable. There were even a few comments about his dog from women. He smiled. Yes, Tana was his ticket to freedom...and romance. Sam knew when he'd arrived at Carlito's; the aroma of lime, salty chips, and Cuban sandwiches filled the air and he realized that he never really paid attention to that before. His stomach grumbled, reminding him that he hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast, so he decided to go in and try his hand at having lunch with his new buddy.

"I'm sorry, sir, you can't bring that dog in here."

"What?" Sam looked puzzled. "She's a guide dog."

"I don't care, mister. There are laws against animals in restaurants."

Sam leaned over and caressed Tana's jawline. "Oh, it's okay, baby. She's not insulting you, really." He leaned closer to the woman and whispered. "She doesn't know she's a dog. Does that make it okay?"

"I..."

"Melinda, what seems to be the problem here?"

"This guy thinks he can bring his dog in here, Mr. Sanchez."

"Sanch! Hey, it's Sam. Sam Axe." He held out his hand and grinned.

Sanchez took it. "Sam! I haven't seen you with your friends for awhile." He directed his next words at Melinda. "Go take care of your other tables. I'll handle this."

"Well, we had a parting of the ways for awhile, but I'm back now. I, uh, just have this little problem." He put his thumb and index finger together. "I'm blind."

"Blind? What happened?"

"Gunshot, a boot to the head, and a guy tried to choke me to death. It all adds up to nerve damage. Don't know if I'll ever see again, so I'm making the best of it." It was way too easy to be casual about it even though it still troubled him inside.

"Wow. So this is your guide dog then."

"Yes. Her name is Tana." He hesitated. "I thought by law you had to let guide dogs into restaurants, bars, places like that."

"Oh Sam, there's no problem here! Melinda's new, she doesn't know." He gently took Sam's upper arm and turned him toward the tables. "Come on, have a seat at your table. You know where it is, don't you?"

"Oh yeah. Tana will get me there." He tightened his grip on the harness. "Tana. Take me to the table." The dog followed Sanchez.

"Now, I'm afraid we don't have any menus in Braille..."

"Which is fine because I can't read it yet, although I can play a mean game of poker with a deck of Braille marked cards." He grinned. "I'll just have my usual."

"Okay. I'll have Melinda put that order in."

"Thanks, Sanch."

While Sam waited for his meal, he sipped on a mojito and listened to the conversations around him. The dog was getting a lot of airplay again. _This is pretty cool._ Then he heard a voice he never thought he'd ever hear again.

"Hello, Sam."

"Ver...Veronica?" Sheer astonishment showed on his face. "What are you doing here? I thought you moved upstate."

"I did, but I came back. I missed Miami. I missed...never mind. I just saw you here and thought I'd say hello."

"Would you, um, like to join me? I've already ordered, but I could hold it off if..."

"No, it's okay." She smiled at him seductively as she sat opposite him. He looked just as handsome as ever, but there was something different. He had an air of peacefulness about him. Before she could ask, she heard a snuffling and a sigh.

"Good girl, Tana." Sam reached down to his right and then straightened.

"Sam, who are you talking to?"

He smiled warmly. "Just Tana. My guidedog."

Veronica snickered. "Guide dog. Are you training her?"

"No. I use her."

If only Sam could have seen the look on her face, but he didn't have to, because he knew Veronica well. He'd dropped the biggest bombshell of her life in her lap, bigger than when he told her he couldn't marry her because he already had a wife somewhere. "You're blind?"

Sam removed his sunglasses so she could see the proof. She looked into those gorgeous brown eyes of his and immediately turned away. "Long story on how it happened. I'm hoping it's only temporary, but until things change, I couldn't just sit around moping. I'm trying to regain as much of my life as I can."

"I see...I mean, I understand." She fiddled with her hands on the table. The server came with a drink for her and a salad she'd already ordered, and Sam's server showed up right after with his sandwich. "Do you need any help?"

"No thanks, I'm good."

Veronica hated herself for staring as Sam dropped the napkin in his lap, picked up half the sandwich, and took a bite. Just like any normal person.

"Oh man, I missed these! Before I went blind, I was away for about six months. Up in DC mostly. But it's all classified, so I can't talk about it, as are the circumstances to how I got this way, so, sorry, I can't talk about that either."

"It's okay, Sam." She picked at her salad. "Does your wife know about your blindness?"

"No. After you and I broke up, I tried to find her. I had some leads, but nothing solid. Then I just got too busy with Mike and Fi, and I forgot about it." He took another bite.

"So you forgot about me."

He heard the implication in her voice. Despite his blindness and his eyes being hidden behind his sunglasses again, he directed his unseeing gaze toward her. "No, I never forgot you, Ronnie. Never will, either. You're the one I regret letting get away."

She took in a deep breath as she placed a hand over her chest. "Sam, do you really mean that?"

"Yes, I do. I love you, Ronnie." It was so much easier to say without sight, and he felt like a coward hiding behind his handicap to say something he should have said a long time ago.

"Oh, Sammy!" She reached across the table and took his hand, caressing it, remembering the coarseness of the pads of his fingers and how they felt on her skin. "I still love you, too. I told myself that if I ever got the chance to get together with you again, I would take it and never let you go."

"But that's changed, hasn't it." He lowered his head. Suddenly, he wasn't hungry anymore.

"No, nothing has changed. I love you, Sam. And I still want you."

He raised his head and smiled. Then he raised his hand and called, "Check, please!"

* * *

Veronica's only had one request, that the dog stay out of the bedroom. Sam was happy to oblige, and that applied to Fiona as well. His acute hearing picked up her banging on the door and her voice.

"Sam. Who is that?"

Sam kissed Veronica and rolled her to her back as his hands roved freely. "Just Fiona, Mike's girl. Don't worry...about...her." He covered Veronica's throat with kisses, getting her mind off what was happening outside the room. The only thing that was important was happening inside the room, and inside her heart. She was deliriously in love with Sam Axe again.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Fiona ran back upstairs to get Michael. "Michael! Michael! Sam's not answering his door!"

"Maybe he's still out. I saw him leave with Tana earlier." He and Jesse were at the bar looking over some intel for their latest job.

"But...but I thought I heard something in there, and when I looked through the window, I saw Tana sitting in the hall, just outside Sam's bedroom! I'm worried, Michael." She paced as she talked, her fingers moving nervously under her chin. "Fine, I'll break down the door myself." She turned away, grabbed a small hunk of C4 that lay out on the workbench, and picked up a fuse nearby.

"Fi! No!" Michael rushed around the bar and gripped her arms from behind. "Don't worry, I will check on Sam, okay?"

She turned in his arms, her eyes boring into his. "Okay. Just...be careful. Maybe one of Sam's enemies found out where he lived, and that he's blind now, and..." She shook her head. "I know, I'm letting my imagination run away. Go. Just go, Michael."

He couldn't help but smile at Fiona's paranoia. After having gone through the disorientation of blindness herself, he imagined she felt her concern was justified. Most likely, Sam was just taking a nap or something. He told Michael on the way home that he'd been having more headaches lately, but the doctor said it was nothing to worry about. He knew Sam. His friend would accept, adapt, and welcome every obstacle and overcome it, and Michael gave him a lot of credit for defying everyone's opinions and getting the dog. If something were wrong, unless Tana had been hurt or killed by an assailant, she would have been barking like crazy. Michael knew this because, before they left the training facility in Boca, he peppered the instructor with questions so that he knew what kind of behavior he could expect from the dog, and Sam, now that they were companions.

So when Michael glanced through the living room window and saw Tana sitting calmly near her water dish, he smiled. Tana saw him and barked. He moved away from the window and she continued to bark. Michael moved out of her line of sight, but it was too late. He heard footsteps moving toward the door.

"Who is it?" Sam's muffled voice came from the other side.

"It's me. Michael."

The bolt snapped as Sam unlocked it and he opened the door. He was covered with a robe and nothing else. Michael's eyes took in the sight, but in typical Sam fashion, the other man just stood there with his vacant eyes gazing off somewhere near Michael's shoulder.

"Something wrong, Mike?"

"Uhhh, nope. Fi was worried about you. She knew you were home but she couldn't get you to the door, and Tana was just sitting there..."

"Well, I'm kind of busy right now. I went to Carlito's for lunch and met up with Veronica." His smile lit up. "We've still got the magic, Mikey."

Michael grimaced. "Woah, I don't need to hear any more! You two, uh, have fun, I guess."

Sam chuckled. "We are." He paused and leaned closer to the door. "Mike, I'm telling ya, there are some perks to being blind. The dog is a chick magnet, for one thing, and my sense of touch..."

"Yeah, I'm sure. Well, hey, I've gotta get back upstairs. Jesse and I are working on a new job."

"A new job?" The grin wiped off of Sam's face. "Say, if you need any help, let me know."

"I'll do that, Sam. Thanks." Michael suddenly felt uncomfortable as he turned away. Until he saw the dejected look on Sam's face, it didn't occur to Michael that they might never be a team again. So much of what they did relied on sight. Sam couldn't even do computer searches for them without special software to read everything. He thought his friend was making huge strides, but so much more uncharted territory still awaited him. Michael felt a lump of despair for Sam in the pit of his stomach as he walked back to the loft, and realizing how much he missed Sam's assistance, he hoped that the doctors could restore his sight.

* * *

"I don't know why it bothers me," Fiona said as she and Maddie sat at the older woman's kitchen table talking. "I mean, Sam is a big boy, he can handle himself. I think. Anyway, it seems awfully strange that this Veronica comes waltzing back into his life now, like she was never upset about Sam turning down her marriage proposal, and spending so much time with him like it didn't matter." Her nose wrinkled. "Maybe she's got some sick thing for blind guys. Poor Sam! When he regains his sight, she won't want to have anything to do with him."

"Fiona." Maddie blew a cloud of cigarette smoke to the side. "I never realized you cared so much about Sam. It's sweet."

Fiona frowned. "It's not sweet. I'm just being, well, he was so nice to me when I was blind. Turnabout is fair play! That's all this is."

"Uh huh." Maddie nodded with a smile. Fiona didn't like to admit it, but Maddie knew she considered Sam a good friend. Her situation had changed everything between them, so now, as a friend, she was justifiably concerned for him. "Michael doesn't seem to be so worried."

Fiona tilted her head, crossed her arms and answered. "Well, you know Michael! He expects everyone to have their act together and know what they're doing. Sam is vulnerable right now, and this platinum blonde hussy is taking advantage of him!"

"Not that Sam ever took advantage of all those rich women, including Veronica." She shook her head slowly, her sarcastic tone floating in the space between them with the cigarette smoke. "What was that you said? Turnabout is fair play."

"But this is different! Sam is going to get hurt!" She glared at Maddie's smug expression. "Oh, I don't know why I even bothered to come here and talk to you about this, Madelyn! You won't take it seriously!" She dropped her heels from the edge of the chair and pushed herself up. But she felt Maddie's hand on her arm and stopped.

"Fiona, I'm sorry. Please, just sit. You want some more coffee?"

"Sure." Fiona sat, a gloomy expression on her face. "I don't know what to do, Maddie. I know he won't listen to me. He thinks he's in love with her."

"Maybe he is, and it's not just about the sex. Ever stop to think that he could actually get beyond that and have a deeper relationship with a woman?"

That took the wind out of Fiona's sails, because she liked to think that she and Sam had a deeper relationship now, albeit not on the romantic plane. She hugged her legs and rested her chin on her knees. "Maybe everything that's happened in the past eight months has given him some time to grow up. I have to say, there is something different about him since he came home. At first I thought it was just the missions he was on. He seemed more mature, serious, you know? And he's taking on this blindness head-on, he's gotten the hang of it so fast..."

"You're jealous that he accepted it and made progress faster than you."

Fiona scoffed and stared at the ceiling. "That's ridiculous, and petty, and...and illogical! I should be happy for him because he's doing so well, and thrilled that he's reunited with the woman he loves. But there's still something missing in his life, and that's work. He needs to work, Maddie, but until he can see, I don't know how he can do that."

"He was retired from the Navy when Michael found him."

"Yes, and he was hanging out in bars all day, hunting for rich women to take him home and support him for awhile. He's not that man anymore, Maddie!" As she spoke, she pounded her fist on the table, causing their cups to jump. "He's not going to be satisfied with just being Veronica's boytoy."

"Don't you think you're worrying a little prematurely? Maybe you should save it for when they've tried all the treatments, and if nothing works, then take that route. Until then, just let him be. He's still figuring out how he fits into the world in this new, limited capacity."

"Michael said when he mentioned to Sam that he and Jesse had a job, his face just fell. It was depressing." Fiona took a sip of her coffee. "He wants to come back to the team, don't you see?" She let the word hang in the air between them.

Maddie nodded. She took a sip from her own cup and replied. "One day at a time, Fiona."

* * *

When Fiona returned, she walked into the courtyard and found Veronica's Cadillac parked on the street near the gate. Last night, it was parked down the street, so she must have gone out for awhile and come back. Or she took Sam out for brunch or something. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and sauntered toward the stairs. She would pretend not to care, because like everyone kept telling her, Sam was old enough to make his own decisions and mistakes. Fiona was almost to the steps when she saw the couple emerge from the apartment with Tana. Sam locked the door as naturally as any seeing person, dropped the keys into his pocket, and took Tana's harness in his right hand while he slipped his left arm around Veronica's waist. The grin made his dimple flash and he found Veronica's mouth as if he could see it, and kissed her as if their lips hadn't met in a long time. She turned away, unable to stand watching such a display.

"Hey Fi! That you?" Sam approached with his two women and a contented smile on his face.

"How did you know?"

He removed his arm from around Veronica and tapped the side of his nose as he replied. "The nose knows. I got a whiff of your perfume on the breeze."

_Wow, his senses are getting very keen!_

"That's quite impressive, Sam." She turned and nodded at the woman. "Veronica. It's been a long time."

"Yes, it has. But I'm back for good now." Sam returned his arm to her waist, and she leaned into him. kissed his dimple, and added. "We were just talking about Sammy moving in with me. It will make things a lot less complicated."

"Complicated? Really, I thought things were quite simple here. He's within walking distance of the beach, shops, restaurants, and bars."

Sam laughed. "Fi, you sound like you're reading from a travel web site."

"The point is, he's fine here. Aren't you, Sam? Your friends are nearby and we can help you if you need anything." She really tried to keep the anger out of her voice, but her words traveled across the space between them as cold and harsh as a blast of winter air.

Sam whispered something to Veronica, and she nodded. "I understand completely, Fiona, but it really is better this way."

"We've gotta run, Fi. We're gonna be late for my appointment."

Fiona's face turned stony. "You had an appointment and you didn't tell us?"

Sam shrugged. "Well, why bother, when Ronnie was perfectly happy to take me. See ya later."

Fiona frowned as the couple walked out to the street. To her surprise, Sam followed Veronica to the driver's side, opened the door, and let her inside. Then he closed it, moved around the car with Tana, and got in after putting the dog in back. He really was acclimated to his new life, because he did all of this in such a way that if Fiona didn't know, she wouldn't have had a clue that he was blind. With a huff, she turned and raced up the stairs.

On the one hand, Fiona was happy for him. On the other, part of her was irritated because when she was blind, she didn't want to admit to Sam or anyone else that it scared her. She was so frightened by it that she stayed in the apartment under the guise of trying to learn how to live blind. Sam was an accomplice in her languishing, but she knew he didn't do it on purpose. He was just trying to let her go at her own pace. When fate turned its ugly hand on Sam, he simply chose a different tactic and came out better for it. So she really had no one to be angry with but herself. She hated that.

* * *

Veronica wanted to go with him into the exam, but Sam insisted that she stay in the waiting room. He and Tana followed the nurse, while every eye in the room followed the handsome man with the cute dog as he walked confidently toward the door. Veronica watched too with pride in her eyes. When she first saw Sam and noted that he'd changed somehow, she couldn't help but fall for him all over again. He was trimmer than she remembered, carried himself differently, and seemed more together. Then he dropped the bomb and told her he was blind. Any sane girl would have said 'have a nice life' and run screaming for the hills. Veronica, however, was a woman crazy in love.

The fact that he couldn't see was meaningless. When he touched her, it was with more tenderness than he ever displayed before, because that sense was so much more vital to him now. And he obviously hadn't lost any of the feelings he had for her. He came right out and said he loved her, and since that day, he repeated it often, like he was making up for not saying it before. Everything about Sam had changed in a way that made him more attractive in her eyes. She noticed that he even shaved on a regular basis, which seemed like it would be a major feat without sight. That morning, however, she watched him from the hallway as he stood wrapped in a towel, fresh from a shower, the razor gliding over his face and his other hand keeping tabs on where he wanted it to stop. It was such a fascinating thing to see, a very intimate act that she would have gladly taken over if he asked. The fact that he walked away without a cut truly amazed her.

Fiona's system for keeping him dressed worked like a charm. There was something about that woman who claimed to be his friend, something that rubbed her the wrong way. But she had to admit the girl was smart when it came to setting up Sam's apartment. Only one time did Veronica have to tell Sam that he was mismatched, and that was her fault because she put a blue shirt in with the yellows, and it didn't work with the brown slacks.

She sighed and tried to keep her attention on the magazine she brought along. She wasn't sure if they'd have anything that wasn't in Braille, but the majority of the reading material was 'normal'. Veronica chuckled softly to herself. When she dreamed of reuniting with Sam, she envisioned days full of fun in the sun, and nights of romance and passion. In reality, over the past couple of weeks they spent a lot of time learning how to read those pesky white dots on paper. Sam could have paid to take lessons, but instead he had Michael order a kit off the internet so he could work on it at home. She was glad to help, and maybe get a glimpse into his world. It wasn't as easy as she would have hoped.

Sam was gone a long time. Veronica glanced at her watch for the tenth time, and she kept her eyes on it, thinking. One of the things that bothered Sam was his inability to know the time. Out of habit he'd been wearing his regular watch, but it was silly. With a smile, she pulled out her cell phone. She had her jeweler on speed dial.

"Hello, I'd like to speak with Antonio, please." She waited until he picked up. "Hello, Toni! It's Veronica. How are you?" She listened, answered him, and began with the real reason she called. By the time she hung up, Veronica was smiling, bursting with a secret she couldn't wait to reveal.

A nurse came out alone and asked, "Are you Veronica?"

"Yes. Yes I am!"

"Come with me, please."

Her happiness was shattered by the serious expression on the woman's face. _What happened to Sam? Is he okay?_ She wanted to ask aloud, but the woman turned and led her into an exam room where Sam sat in a chair. He sensed her presence immediately, smiled, and held out his hand.

"Hey, Ronnie, come here, baby."

Blushing at his endearment in front of the nurse and the doctor, who sat at a desk typing something into the computer, she hurried to sit next to him in a chair. She placed her hand on his, and he covered it with his other hand. Tana lay half under his chair, perfectly relaxed with her head on her paws.

"What's going on, Sam?"

The doctor turned and smiled at Veronica. "Veronica, I'm Sam's neurologist, Dr. Kirby. I don't know if Sam has told you that he's been having increasingly severe headaches."

"Yes, he told me. Is that serious?"

"It depends on what is causing it. I just wanted you in here, since you apparently have a close relationship with Sam, so you know what is going on."

"Yes, I do." Veronica glanced at Sam and smiled as she squeezed his hand. Then she turned a sober expression toward the doctor. "So what is going on?"

"His nerves are healing, but we need to do an MRI to see how far along they've come. He's scheduled for one on Thursday at 8am. Can you have him over at the hospital about a half hour earlier?"

"Of course! We'll be there!"

Dr. Kirby smiled. "With Sam's situation, there was more extensive damage, so while this is hopeful, it may not mean much at this point. However, this also opens the door for the potential to scout out the kinds of strategies we can use to try to restore Sam's vision."

"You can do that?" Her breath caught in her throat and her eyes filled with joyful tears.

"We can certainly try. It's an expensive procedure, but..."

Veronica blurted. "I'll take care of it. No matter how much it costs."

"Ronnie, my insurance will probably take care of most, if not all of it."

Dr. Kirby responded. "True, Sam. But you might have to go to the VA for the treatments. I did some research on this, and you'd have to go up to DC to have it done."

"Would traveling be bad for him, Doctor?"

"No, not at all. It's just that he would be so far from home, and patients tend to do better with the ones they love nearby."

"Well, he's got me." She turned to Sam and caressed his arm. "Whatever you want to do, Sammy, I'll be there behind you one hundred percent."

His smile was like the sunshine. "I knew you would be, sweetheart. Let's just see how the tests go, and when they figure out what they want to try, then we'll discuss where I'll go. Okay?"

Sam was taking a reserved approach, because he didn't want to get his hopes up. He'd done his own research on the internet after Veronica was asleep late at night. Using the reading software Jesse installed on his laptop and listening through an earbud, he heard the computer read the web sites full of medical jargon until his head spun. But at least he gleaned enough to know that nothing was a sure thing when it came to brain injuries and nerve damage. He just kept it to himself because he didn't want Ronnie to worry needlessly or have false hope. Listening to the expectation in her voice, he knew they would have to have a serious talk later on. And he wanted all his friends there to get the same information at the same time, so there would be no misunderstanding.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Sam was getting so confident in his day to day living that he was able to help Veronica in the kitchen as she prepared supper for him and his friends. He stirred the pasta, skimmed a bunch of noodles off the top and found one hanging. He snagged it and tested it.

"Watch it, you're dripping," she chided him as she skirted past him, her hand flitting over his backside.

"Hey, you keep that up, I'll have this all over the floor." He picked up a spoon and tested the sauce. "Oh, needs more oregano."

"Wait a minute, let me check that." She took the spoon from him, tried it, and let out a breath. "You're right! I'm jealous of those taste buds of yours! I knew something was missing, but you hit the nail on the head!" She bumped her hip playfully against his. "Having a blind guy around the house is pretty handy sometimes." She giggled and reached up to kiss his cheek.

"I wonder if I'll lose all this again if I get my sight back." He nibbled on some steaming veggies. "I'm really liking the effects, you know?" He held out a fork with a carrot on it, and she took it from him.

"None of this 'if' talk, Sam. It's when. Keep thinking 'when', not 'if'." She placed her hands on his hips, laid her chin on his shoulder, and was about to put her arms around him when they heard a knock. Tana barked. "Company is here. Want me to get it?"

"Sure, Ronnie." Sam turned to his right and picked up a baking sheet that sat on the counter, searched for the bread basket, and tilted the pan to dump the bread into it.

Jesse, Fiona, Michael and Maddie entered and looked around for Sam. None of them expected to see him in the kitchen. He rinsed his hands, wiped them on a towel hanging directly below the sink, and turned with a smile for them.

"Hey, who's all here?"

"Everyone we invited, Sam."

"Is there anything we can do," Maddie asked as she handed Veronica a bottle of wine.

"No, we've got everything under control. Thanks for the wine, Maddie! Let's have this with dinner." She sidled up to Sam. "You wouldn't happen to have an ice bucket, would you?"

"Oh yeah, it's right next to the champagne glasses, darling."

"Sam!" She swatted his behind and laughed at him. They were so comfortable with each other, it was if they were in their own little world for a moment. It wasn't lost on their guests, who took places at the table that was extended with leaves and two chairs that had been kept in the corners of Sam's bedroom.

When they were all assembled and well into dinner, Sam gave them the rundown on his appointment, and the upcoming tests. They all voiced their pleasure and hoped that it went well. Then he told them about the options for treatments, and how he might have to go out of state, depending on the outcome.

"Sam, I think you should do whatever you need to do to get your sight back," Jesse spoke with conviction. "That's what I'd do, man. If I had to go to Mexico or Europe or something, I'd go."

"So would I," Michael agreed. "We want you back on the team, Sam. If it means lots of expensive treatments, we'll chip in whatever you need. Even if it's just plane tickets, a hotel stay, whatever."

Sam let out a relieved breath and raised his glass. "I want to toast you guys. I don't know what I would have done without your help. I know it would have taken me a lot longer to get my act together, that's for sure." The corner of his mouth tipped up. "I'd probably be living in some dive somewhere close to the hospital, getting mugged every time I went out to the minimart. So thank you."

"It's no problem, Sam." Fiona clinked her glass with his. "I feel like I owe you for what you did for me, but you've also become a real friend, and, well, friends do things like this for each other."

"Very well put, Fiona." Veronica praised her as she clinked glasses with Sam and Fiona, but she noted that the smile on the other woman's face dimmed at the contact. If she expected to stay around for Sam, she needed to confront Fiona and discover what her problem was. She couldn't understand why the woman didn't like her, when everyone else seemed to accept her presence.

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" Maddie took a sip of her wine. "You just need to let us know what you plan to do, and we'll figure out our roles after that."

"I thought it would be easy. I just wanted everyone to know what was on the table."

"Well, I think we all learned the hard way that withholding certain kinds of information for the wrong reasons, no matter how well intentioned it may seem, isn't a good idea." Michael glanced at his mother.

She just gave him a narrow eyed glare, and everyone laughed except for Sam. He couldn't see the look, so Veronica leaned over and whispered into his ear. He smiled, the joke already passed. That was something he couldn't get used to, missing visual cues and teasing that passed among the members of their group. He looked forward to the day when he could see again and he would no longer be left out.

As he lay awake in bed listening to a late night thunderstorm, the sounds were so vivid. He wasn't sure if it was because of his heightened senses or the fact that it was a big storm. Veronica shifted against his side. No matter what happened with his sight, one thing was certain: he had to find his wife and divorce her. It wasn't right to keep her hanging out there, and give Veronica the hope that one day they would tie the knot if it could never happen. The fact that she was willing to take him sight or no sight convinced him that she was worth fighting to keep. He loved her, there was no doubt about that, and he was willing to do whatever it took to get his sight back and have her by his side forever.

He wondered what time it was. Carefully, he pulled his right arm out from under her neck and felt for the watch face. He loved the custom made Rolex that she bought him. Thanks to her, he never had to exist in a temporal vacuum or ask someone what time it was. His fingers played over the dial and felt the hands. It was 12:45. He folded his arms behind his head, let out a deep breath, and tried to go to sleep. Sometimes when he closed his eyes he saw colored spots, like the sparks that flew off of a sparkler. Tonight, they were dancing around behind his closed lids. The doctor said that was normal, and a good sign that things were progressing. To him, they seemed like cruel taunts, enticing him to want to see all that much more.

Tana came up to the bedside and whined. Sam mumbled. "What?"

The dog placed a paw on the bed. He reached out and petted her head, and she whined again.

"Aw man. Didn't I take you out a couple hours ago," he whispered. "Besides, it's pouring out there!"

She put both paws on the bed. He grumbled, sat up, and swung his legs off the bed. Overhead, the air crackled as if it were splitting just before a big boom that caused the building to shake. "You owe me big time for this, pooch!" He put his robe on and trudged to the door with Tana trotting happily alongside.

"Last chance, Tana. Are you sure you want to go out there?" She cried and put her front paws up on him, which he'd learned in training was a big no-no. "Down, Tana!" She returned to four paws on the floor. Carefully, he hitched up her harness, slipped into some flip-flops near the door, and grabbed the umbrella. She waited patiently for him to get it open before going outside with him. The music at the club still surged through the pouring rain, but the usual crowd noise outside was absent. Whoever didn't make it inside before the storm probably left. _Sergei has to hate nights like this!_

Tana led him around to the side of the apartment to do her business. "I wonder if I can teach you how to use a litter box at night, huh, Tana?" That thought made him laugh. "No comment. Probably best that way." He turned and headed back to the apartment.

He came into the courtyard and heard footsteps on gravel. "Where's Westen?"

"Huh? Who wants to know?"

"My name doesn't matter." The stranger stepped close enough for Sam to smell his cologne. He knew that overpowering spicy scent from somewhere in the past. "I have something to settle with him."

The guy had an accent. Eastern European, if Sam wasn't mistaken. He smoked cheap European cigarettes, and he tried to mask it with mint gum. Keeping cool, Sam responded. "Sorry, I don't know what you're talking about. I'm just the neighbor. I don't have Mr. Westen's schedule, and well," he chuckled, "Unless it's in Braille, I can't read it anyway."

"Smartass," the man muttered.

In German, one of the man's cohorts said, "That's Sam Axe, Westen's friend."

"Shut up! I know!" He turned back to Sam and spoke in English. "Tell me where Westen is. No more lies."

"Seriously, I have no clue." Tana growled, and he hushed her.

"I don't have time for these games you play." With lightning quick speed, his fist flew and caught Sam under the chin, sending him to the ground.

Sam lost his grip on Tana's harness, and the umbrella fell away somewhere that he couldn't reach. Otherwise, he would have tried to use it as a weapon. He heard the unmistakable sound of a semi-automatic, and he froze. Without being able to see where the man was, trying to kick it out of his possession was impossible. Tana barked and growled at his attacker. He heard her cry and her body landed near him, but then she was up on her feet again and the man screamed for his cohorts.

"Get her off! Get this dog off me!"

"Don't hurt her! Please!"

"Sam? Sam, what's going on out here!"

The man grunted, and he heard feet splashing, retreating.

"Ronnie, get inside!"

"No!"

Tana still barked and growled until the courtyard gate squealed and shut behind the men. Then she sat on her haunches in the rain, guarding Sam. Veronica came out to his side, knelt on the wet pavement, and held him in her arms. "Oh Sam, what did they want? Why'd they do this to you?"

"They didn't want me, Ronnie. They wanted Mike."

"Oh honey, come on. Can you get up?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Tana. Where is she?" Sam got his feet under himself and stood. He gently probed his chin. He was going to have quite the bruise there tomorrow.

"She's right here, Sam. Come on, Tana, sweetie. Everything's okay." She picked up the harness and handed it to Sam. He took it in his left hand and walked with Veronica clinging to his right side.

All three were soaked to the skin. When they entered the apartment, Tana shook herself, sending droplets of water everywhere. Since he and Veronica were already wet, they didn't care. She turned out of his grip and her hand caressed his jawline down to his cheek.

"Ow, Ronnie! That hurts!"

"You've got a little cut there, Sam. Come with me to the bathroom, and I'll get that taken care of."

It took awhile to fix up Sam's face. While Veronica volunteered to take care of Tana, Sam got on the phone. "Call Mike."

Michael picked up. "Hey Sam, kind of late to chat, isn't it?"

"Where are you, Mike?"

"On a stakeout. Why?"

"Is Fi with you?"

"Yeah. What's going on, Sam?" By the concerned tone of Mike's voice, he knew whatever was happening at the other end was boring, but the tension was high. He hated stakeouts, and those were the worst kind.

"I had some uninvited guests. They were looking for you, but I told them I didn't have your schedule so I couldn't help them." He paused, mentally recalling all the clues and putting them together into one mean package. "Mike, it was Heinrich Mueller."

He knew Heinrich. He never gave his name; usually he left his calling card, a bullet at close range to the heart. "Did he...did he shoot you, Sam?"

"No, I was lucky. Between Tana and Ronnie, he had enough distractions and a witness, so he and his buddies just took off."

"Are you certain it was him?"

"I didn't need to see him, let's just put it that way. I heard his voice, and I smelled him." He paused. "Remember that big clunky ring he always wore? He still wears it. I know, because it cut me when he clocked me good on the chin."

"We must be getting warmer with our investigation, Sam. Heinrich's getting scared." He held back a yawn. "You okay there tonight?"

"Yeah, I doubt they'll bother us anymore. I think maybe Tana took a good chunk out of him after he bashed me in the chin."

Michael's amusement rang over the line. "Give her an extra dog biscuit for that one, Sam. If you don't, I will."

"No problem, Mike. Veronica's giving her the royal treatment, getting her all cleaned up and dry. Well, I just wanted you to know you had company, and to keep an eye out for Heinrich."

"Will do. 'Night, Sam."

"Yeah, you too, Mike. Try to stay awake, and keep your eye on the stakeout and not Fi."

"Very funny." Michael broke the connection.

"Well, Tana is all dry and happy now." Veronica snaked her arms around him. "Now, how about us?"

Sam set his phone down where he always kept it on the night stand, wrapped his arms around Veronica, and kissed her until she nearly melted into him. "Let's go, baby." Without Tana's help, he knew where the bathroom was. Veronica giggled and followed him. She had no choice, because he held her hand in his and wouldn't let go.

* * *

They were at the hospital on Thursday, earlier than the requested time of 7:30. Veronica tried to get Sam to eat some breakfast, but all he had was a cup of coffee. She tried one last time by taking him to the cafeteria, but he said he wasn't hungry.

"Sam, you should eat something."

"I can't, Ronnie!"

"Why not?" His stubbornness could really irritate her sometimes.

He swirled the coffee in his cup before replying softly. "I'm scared."

"Scared? Of what, Sammy?" She caressed his cheek, and he captured her hand and held it in place.

"I know it's not going to hurt. I'm just afraid that after all this they won't see any progress, and all these sparks I've been seeing are my mind playing tricks on me, and I'll never get my sight back." He swallowed. "I've been trying to take this all in stride and pretend that I'm okay with it...but I'm not. I don't want to stay this way! I want to see again, dammit!"

Veronica's chair scraped across the tile as she situated herself next to him. With one arm around his shoulders and her hand cupping his face, she held onto him. He dipped his head into the crook of her arm and stayed that way for some time. Finally, he raised his head, and his sunglass covered eyes turned toward her face.

"Ronnie, will you really stay with me if this doesn't work out? Can you honestly say you'll live with a man who can't see, who has to rely on you to be his eyes?"

"If I'm just going to live with you, no. But if I am going to be married to you, yes. My offer still stands, Sam. It's up to you to free yourself so that you can make the commitment." She smiled into his cheek where she knew he could feel it. "So the question is not whether I'll stand by you. The question is, will you do what it takes to stand by me as my husband? I won't accept anything less."

"Yes, I will. Just help me get through today."

"I will." She kissed his lips tenderly. Over his shoulder she saw the clock on the wall. "We need to get up to the fifth floor right now, Sam."

"Okay. Let's go."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"Alright, Mr. Axe. Have you removed everything metal from your person?"

"Yes."

"Great. Now just lie down on the table, and relax. We'll have this IV set up in a second."

"Huh? What do you need an IV for?" His body tensed as he stretched out on the hard surface.

"We'll be injecting a contrast material into your veins. You might feel a coolness when it goes in, and once it goes through your system you may have a metallic taste in your mouth, but I assure you, there's nothing dangerous about this material." She paused. "Oh, and if you get hives or itchy eyes or any kind of allergic reaction, you let me know, okay?"

Sam felt the needle prick and clenched his eyes shut.

"Does that hurt?"

"No." He was just holding back a sense of panic. "Uh, how bad is this if I get an allergic reaction?"

She'd obviously been exposed to other patients with fears, and she replied with a light tone. "It's alright. If you have any symptoms, it's not a fatal reaction. We can take care of it right away."

"Oh. Okay." He let out his breath and relaxed.

After a few minutes, the radiologist arrived and explained how the procedure would work. Thankfully Sam didn't have a problem with being confined in small places. Lying perfectly still for short periods of time was not an issue either, and when they asked him to hold his breath, he did so. The machine clicked and hummed while it worked, and after the first run, he asked for some earplugs. With his heightened senses, the sound was too much.

After it was over, they kept the IV on him until they were certain they wouldn't need to do any more testing. He sat in a small room with Veronica, side by side, holding hands. He felt a little nauseous, but otherwise normal.

"See, you probably should have eaten something." Veronica scolded him softly as she tucked a wisp of curling hair behind his ear. "You need a haircut, darling."

"Oh, after this, you want to subject me to scissors? What are you, a sadist?"

"Well, it's nice to hear that your sense of humor hasn't been affected." She snuggled closer and kissed his cheek.

A knock sounded on the door and she quickly made space between them. "Hello, Sam, Veronica."

Veronica smiled at him. "Dr. Kirby. So nice to see you again."

"Thank you. This is Dr. Scott, he's also a neurologist. I've been consulting with him on your case, Sam. We looked at the MRIs." He paused to clip them onto a light box on the wall so Veronica could see them. Then he pointed to two bands that intersected and said, "Veronica, these are the optic nerves. When we did the original MRI, we thought that this was the source of the problem, because of these shadows that appeared to be damage. If it had been, there would be little to no hope of Sam ever recovering his vision."

Dr. Scott took over. "What we discovered when comparing the first MRI with this one is that this section of the brain is different." He pointed out an area to Veronica. "At the time of your injury, Mr. Axe, you had a hematoma in the area with some swelling. Now, in the new MRI, the hematoma has disappeared and so has the swelling, but there is still some damage to the brain itself in the area that governs your vision."

"So, I'm still out of luck, right? I mean, once you damage brain cells, they're toast, right?"

"Not necessarily. There are some things we can do to regenerate those cells. It won't require surgery. You'll just take medication. It is very powerful stuff, though." Dr. Kirby sat in a chair and rolled it to where he could face Sam. "I'm not going to lie to you. You could get quite ill, and there's no guarantee it'll work. You'd have to stay in the hospital for the duration of the two week treatment. It's like getting chemotherapy except without the immunity issues. After that round, you'll take a milder version of the drug for another couple of weeks. Then, if there's progress, you'll probably have to take the milder dose daily for up to a year, depending on the results."

"This treatment has been in the experimentation stages for a long time," Dr. Scott said. "It's only been recently approved for humans, so in a sense, you'd be a guinea pig. It hasn't been done on a lot of people outside of clinical trials."

"What have the results been in testing," Veronica asked, reluctant for Sam to do this, now that they'd heard the negative effects and that it was still so new and uncertain.

"There have been a lot of successes with it." Dr. Kirby answered with a guarded expression. "But the injuries have been all over the board, and no one with ocular damage."

"If all this helps me regain my sight, I'm willing to do it, Doc." He squeezed Veronica's hand.

"You'll need a support group to attend to your needs for awhile."

"He's got that." Veronica responded confidently.

"Good. The only question that remains is, when do you want to start?"

"Any time. I've been ready for this from day one."

"Okay. We'll set it up for next week. That'll give you time to talk to your friends and family and get them on board with this."

As Sam and Veronica left the hospital, he felt his nerves tingling with excitement. Veronica had to trot to keep up with him. "Sam, honey, will you slow down, please? I'm wearing heels and I can't keep up!"

"I'm sorry, Ronnie. I'm just, I don't know, I feel like..."

"Like what?" They stood outside the entrance hand in hand, with Tana sitting patiently beside Sam.

"Free. Or at least right on the edge of free. It feels good." A slow smile spread across his face. "What time is it?" He would have checked himself, but he had his arm around her and he didn't want to move it.

"It's 12:30."

"Great. I'm starving. Let's go get some lunch at Carlito's, and maybe Mikey and the gang will be there."

"Sounds good, Sam." She smiled for him, but Veronica dreaded seeing Fiona again. She still hadn't gotten a chance to sit down with the woman and talk, and every time she thought she would, something got in the way.

* * *

Veronica drove them to Carlito's and parked across the street. Sam got out, found Tana's harness, and the dog waited for traffic to clear. Veronica came around to meet up with him and they crossed.

"Sam, they're here!" She waved to Jesse, and he eagerly waved them to the table.

They were almost across the street when Sam heard a car engine racing. "Ronnie!" He pulled her hand and the trio jumped back, just as the car came to a stop a few inches from hitting them.

A young guy in a convertible with some other young men stood up in his seat and yelled, "Hey, why don't you watch where you're going? What, are you BLIND or something?" The others laughed as the driver steered around them and took off.

"Sam..."

"Don't worry about it, Ronnie. There will always be jerks in the world. Just ignore them." He didn't tell her that in the time since he'd lost his sight, there were other situations where he'd been out and received cruel remarks. He just let them roll off his back, although they still stung. "I just try to look at it this way. When they do stupid stuff like that, I wonder who here is really the blind one."

"I'll be so glad when you can see again! It hurts that people are so mean to you."

"It's okay." He shrugged. "Just don't let it ruin the day." He put his arm around her and steered her into the restaurant.

"Hello. Did you need a table?"

Sam recognized Melinda's voice and noted that her tone wasn't as snooty as last time. "Thanks, Melinda, but we're looking for our friends at our usual table."

She hesitated, and Sam chalked it up to her being astounded that he knew who she was. She quickly recovered and said, "We'll have to drag another one over there. Otherwise it'll be kind of tight. Follow me." Her footsteps moved away, and as they approached Michael, Fi, and Jesse, Melinda moved another table to meet with the empty side. "There you go. Just let me get a couple of chairs over here."

"Sam, this is a surprise," Michael said with a smile in his voice.

"We just got done at the hospital." He sat in a chair next to Fiona, and Veronica sat across from him, next to Jesse, who said his hellos to her and she answered softly.

"Well? How'd things go?" Fiona crunched her celery.

"There's hope. Its' going to require months of what sounds like what could be some unpleasant drugs, and some recuperation time, but in the end, my chances of seeing again will be a whole lot better."

"No guarantees, though."

"No, Jesse. But the chances are a lot higher than doing nothing. And I'm willing to go for it."

"The best part is it can be done here in Miami. We don't have to go anywhere," Veronica added with a grin. She caught Fiona's gaze, but she wouldn't let the coolness in her eyes dissuade her from her happiness.

"That's great! When are you having this done?"

Sam heard the emotion in Michael's voice, and it made him feel good. His friend was excited for him, and eager to get him back into the fold. "Next week, but it's two weeks in the hospital."

"And then you'll be able to see? Just like that?"

"Well, it'll come back bit by bit. It's not going to be like one morning I open my eyes, and bam! I can see." He paused. "That is, if it works. I'm trying not to get my hopes too high in case it doesn't, but the doctors seem to be pretty confident that I'll at least get partial vision back."

"We'll take anything we can get, won't we, honey?" Veronica reached across the table and he stretched out his hand to take hers.

"You betcha, baby!" He kissed her hand and released it. "So, what's everybody having for lunch?"

* * *

Veronica had to wait in his room while they took Sam for the treatment. She would be alone for three hours while they pumped massive doses of the drug into his system, and when he returned to his room, she spent another three or more cradling him as he got sick. When he finally fell into an exhausted sleep, she stayed with him and stroked his hair, but he awoke again for another bout. She couldn't imagine going through this for another thirteen days. Would he endure it? And then who knew how he would react to the milder version? He needed her more than ever, and despite how much it hurt to see him suffer, she would stay by his side.

She decided to take a break from watching over him sleep. As Veronica stepped into the hall, she spied a familiar petite frame heading her way and smiled as she approached. "Fiona. Hi."

Fiona stopped with a few feet of space between them and stuck her hands in her back pockets. "Hi. How's Sam?"

"He's sleeping right now. He's been so sick." She couldn't help it. The stress of the past eight hours wore on her and her eyes flooded. But she refused to lose herself in front of this woman.

"Is it bad?" Fiona stood before her, unsure of how to react when she felt a twinge of pity for Veronica.

"Yes. He exhausted himself and now he's finally sleeping. They tried to give him something to help him sleep, but it just came right back up." Veronica's voice thickened. "Fiona, I'm afraid for him. Afraid he won't make it through if he has to do it for two weeks!"

Fiona swallowed hard. And she did something she never thought she would ever do. She took Veronica gently by the arm and led her to a small waiting area where they could have some privacy. She went to the coffee machine and poured them both cups. Veronica sat in a chair and Fiona sat kitty corner to her.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it." Fiona studied Veronica silently. "You really do care for him, don't you."

"Not just that. I love him. Why do you doubt it? Why do you have this chip on your shoulder when it comes to me?" She plucked a tissue from the box on the coffee table and dabbed at her eyes.

"Sam is my friend, and he's been through a lot of relationships. Most of them quite shallow, I'm afraid. But that's as much his fault as the other women's. Since he lost his sight, I've been feeling especially protective of him, because I too lost my sight recently." She told Veronica how Sam had been there for her and helped her to cope. "It really galls me to admit this, but he's done far better than I. Now he has a chance to see again, and I don't want some woman making him think she loves him when she's after something else."

Veronica sniffled. "What would I want from Sam, other than…well…Sam?"

"I don't know."

"You think I'm somehow taking advantage of his disability? What would that gain me?"

Fiona shook her head. "I know that it sounds ridiculous, but I've seen friends who have been taken advantage of when they're most vulnerable, and it hurts, Veronica. I don't want to see Sam get hurt. If you all of a sudden decide it's not fun anymore, or it's too much work to help him when he needs you, and you walk away…."

Veronica held up her hand and stopped Fiona. Her eyes bored into Fiona's with a surprising fierceness as she replied. "You know, if I was going to walk out on Sam, I would have done it today after seeing what he's going through. I'm not leaving, and nothing you can say will change how I feel about him." A thin smile stretched across her face. "You'll see. Even after you and your friends tire of his long recovery, I'll be there."

"I suppose time will tell, won't it?" There was nothing that Fiona liked more than a good challenge from another woman. _You're on, lady!_


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

After two weeks, Sam looked pale and gaunt when he emerged from the hospital and went home. Only he didn't go to his apartment. Veronica packed up all his clothes and took him and Tana to her beach house up the coast, one of many beach houses and condos that she owned all over the state. Sam needed time apart from everything, a chance to recharge himself away from the city. His friends weren't too pleased, but it wasn't as if he was that far, only a half hour or so. She gave them an open invitation to visit any time.

Sam remembered this place. It was one of his favorites of all the properties where Veronica had taken him. The living room wall consisted of sliding glass doors that opened up onto a wide deck, and steps led right down to the sand and the ocean, passing through an undulating wall of thick, tall grasses that sang an airy song in the warm breezes. It was peaceful, and private. Once they arrived, she settled him into a lounge chair on the deck. Tana sat beside him.

"Now Tana, sweetie, don't you let him run off to the beach while I'm in the house. Okay?" She patted the dog on her head and Tana gave Veronica a big doggy smile.

"Jeez, Ronnie, it's not like I'm a toddler." As much as he appreciated her tender care, there were times his lack of being in control irritated him.

"I was just kidding." She touched Sam's shoulder. It alarmed her how much weight he'd lost while in the hospital. She could feel the bones through his skin.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you. Maybe I'm just tired."

She pecked him on the cheek. "It's okay. I'll get you something to drink and some sunscreen. Be right back."

Feeling like a jerk, he replied softly before placing a kiss on the back of her hand. "Thanks, Ronnie." He rested his head on the chair back and lifted his lips to kiss her. She dipped and accepted it, planted one of her own on his cheek, and went inside.

She closed the sliding door and watched him from inside. Tana lay beside him, and he let his right hand lazily rake over her head. He massaged his temples with the other. Nausea and headaches were par for the course during the first round, and it pained her to see him suffer so much. She hoped the second round wouldn't be so brutal, because if she couldn't get anything solid to stay down in his stomach, she feared he would waste away to nothing for no good reason.

_I wish he'd never done this! I love him, and I'd still love him if he stayed blind! Is this really worth it?_

She knew the answer. More than anything, Sam wanted to get back to working with his friends. Getting things straightened out with his first marriage and moving on to a future with her ran a close second. That should have bothered her more than it did, but she felt secure in the fact that when he wasn't working, he would be hers one hundred percent. He'd been too ill to do any looking for his wife, but she was certain when he was better, he would start. He promised her he would. And she never, ever had reason to doubt his word, except for that one time when that nasty agent made her think things about Sam that weren't true. Then she felt ashamed for believing him over Sam. She'd learned her lesson after that.

Veronica returned with a large glass of ice water and a tube of sunscreen. "I'm back, sweetie. You want me to put this on you?"

Sam had dozed off and didn't hear her. He slept so peacefully, she decided to carefully apply the sunscreen and hope she didn't wake him. As she finished up his chest, she heard a car on the crushed shell driveway. Doors slammed, and voices increased in volume as they came around the house. Veronica bounded out to meet them.

Fiona, Michael, and Maddie stopped in their tracks. "Hi. I thought you'd all come by soon to see Sam," Veronica said with a friendly smile. "He's out on the deck right now, but he fell asleep. If you'd like to wait inside until he wakes up, I can make some lunch..." Her words fell off and she nervously picked at something under a nail while she eyed them.

"We'll just hang out until he wakes up," Michael said as he started forward.

"Okay. Sure!" She offered them something to drink as they walked around to the deck and took their places in some chairs under an umbrella.

Veronica went inside to get the refreshments while they stayed outside talking in low tones. Maddie approached Sam and Tana. She petted the dog and sat on the edge of the lounge, then reached out to touch Sam's arm.

"Wha...Maddie!"

Maddie's eyebrows shot up. "Sam! Did...did you see me?"

"No, sorry. But I smelled that coconut stuff you put on now and then."

She laughed nervously. "Its called sunscreen. I don't know how you can tell the difference between what I have on and what you're covered with."

"I can pick up all those little nuances, Maddie. Are Mike and Fi here, too?"

"We're here, Sam." Michael replied.

"Sam, you're awake! Isn't it great that your friends came to visit?" Veronica came out with a tray holding glasses and a pitcher of iced tea, and some tortilla chips and salsa. Despite her earlier unease, she seemed genuinely happy that they came. "I'm really glad you all were able to come out here. Isn't this a relaxing place? This is one of my favorite places to get away from it all." Veronica sat at the table with Fiona and Michael, and Maddie joined them.

The three spent a couple of hours visiting with Sam, until Maddie noticed that he was fighting sleep. They reluctantly made their goodbyes and headed for the car. Sam surprised them by getting up and following them to the driveway. He gave Maddie and Fiona hugs, and for Mike, a firm handshake.

"Thanks for coming. I'm sorry I wasn't all that lively there."

"No, it's okay, Sam! We understand you've been through a lot," Maddie countered and hugged him again. "You just take the time to get stronger."

"The next time we visit, if you don't have some meat on your bones, I'll have a bone to pick with Veronica," Fi said sternly.

Sam laughed. "I don't think that's going to be a problem, Fi. Once I get my appetite back, I know she's going to be stuffing me. She's part Italian, you know. They love to eat."

Fiona never would have suspected it, considering how slim the woman was for her age. It also occurred to her that since Sam went into the hospital, not only had he lost weight, so did Veronica. When she came to meet them, she almost looked unhealthy.

"Well Sam, you better make sure she eats something too."

A worried expression crossed Sam's face. "It's not like I haven't noticed, Fi. She's been so concerned about me, spending practically every waking moment by my side at the hospital for the past two weeks. I don't know when she went to get something to eat."

"Take care of her, Sam, as much as she takes care of you," Maddie ordered him. "You don't need her getting sick."

"I know. Thanks, Ma." He grinned.

"We'll see you in a few days, Sam." Michael turned toward the car.

"Hey, Mike. How'd everything go with Heinrich?"

"Jesse and I were really close to getting him, but he's gone off the grid...again. We'll find him. We know he has interests here in Miami, so he'll be back. Interpol thinks he's back in Germany for now, though."

"Good luck, Mike."

"Thanks. You too, Sam."

Sam nodded, then he thought of something else. "Hey Mike, can I talk to you a second before you guys leave?" He was beginning to tire standing there, so he said, "Let's go sit on the deck steps. Just for a bit."

"Sure."

Tana led him to the steps and Sam lowered himself onto the top one. Michael sat next to him.

"What is it, Sam?"

"I, uh, I need your help. That is, if you, Fi, and Jesse aren't busy with something else, some paying customer, that is."

"No, we're in between jobs right now until Heinrich comes back. What'd you have in mind?" Michael rested his elbows casually on his splayed knees and waited for his friend to speak.

Sam knew this needed to get done, and he trusted no one more than Michael to do the job right. But it bothered him that he even had to do this. It should have been taken care of long ago. "Well, you know about Amanda, right? The woman I married and never divorced."

"And because of her, you had to turn down Veronica's proposal."

"Yeah. Well, Ronnie's offer still stands, and I want to accept it so badly. Only thing is, I have to clean up this loose end first."

Michael quickly got over the shock of hearing Sam admit he was interested in marrying Veronica. "You want me to find Amanda."

"Yeah. Mike, I know this is asking a lot. I don't even know where you should begin!" He leaned back against a post and sighed. "It could very well be a wild goose chase."

"We'll see what we can do. Can you put together everything you do know and e-mail it to me?"

"Sure. I already had sort of a dossier on her and what little info I have. It's on my laptop, which I brought along, so after I crash for awhile, I'll send it to you. Okay?"

"That'll be fine, Sam." Michael put a hand on Sam's knee, patted it, and stood. "Go get some rest. We'll talk later."

"Thanks, Mike. I'm beginning to feel like I owe you and Fi way too much."

Michael shook his head, even though Sam couldn't see it. "Nonsense, this is what friends do." He smiled. "You know that."

Sam nodded. Michael walked away and saw that Maddie and Fiona stood outside the car, but when he approached them, they got in. Veronica waved goodbye as he turned in the circular drive and headed back out to the highway. Once they were out of sight, she walked around the side of the house, saw Sam resting against the post and felt a stab of guilt. She shouldn't have let them stay so long and wear him out.

"Come on, Sam, you should go inside and take a nap." He stood without argument, and she and Tana took him inside.

He knew his way around the house and easily found the bedroom. When he reached the bed he let go of Tana, curled an arm around Veronica, and pulled her down onto the bed with him. She yelped in surprise and laughed as she lay down and he rolled over her to lay to her left.

"Sam, what are you doing?"

"Is it too much to ask to have a little together time with you?" He kissed her lips with as much passion as he could muster in his exhausted state. Then he took his sunglasses off, set them onto the night stand, and wrapped her in his arms. "I'd really love to make love to you right now, but I'm too tired. So just hold me, Ronnie." He nestled his chin into where her neck and shoulder met. "Just hold me."

The desperate pleading in his voice nearly broke her down. Instead, she pressed herself as close to him as she could, wrapping herself around him. He slowly relaxed in her arms and fell asleep.

Their days were spent with Sam sleeping in until whenever he felt like getting up. Veronica made sure he ate breakfast with his first pill of the day. Sometimes they stayed out on the deck, but if he felt strong enough, they walked to the beach and along the packed sand with Tana. Sam discovered that she liked to play fetch, so if she found a piece of driftwood, she picked it up in her mouth and whined until he took it from her and lobbed it out for her to go retrieve and bring back. It made him feel good that he could do something so simple to make her happy, and he didn't even have to see. It was good for him too, because it helped bring his arm strength back. He used both his left and right arms equally, just to get them both back into shape.

Every day, the sickness from the treatments became less and less, and his periods of wakefulness grew. Veronica fed him well and he started to gain weight again, and got back his strength. Things were going great. Now, if he'd only hear something from Mike on the Amanda front.

"Sorry Sam, nothing new." That was Michael's pat response.

Sam was beginning to think that she fell off the face of the earth. So when Michael called after he completed his first month of the home treatments, he wasn't expecting to hear that he found her.

"Sam, I located Amanda. You're not going to believe this."

"Try me."

"She's a nurse at a hospital up in Gainesville. Gainesville, Florida, Sam. She's been there for oh, let's see, the past twelve years. She's single, but...get this...she'd been married after you."

"How can that be? We're still married!" He wasn't sure why that gave him a twinge of envy, but it did.

"I don't know. I guess you'd have to ask her that. All I know is the information I got from a few of your buddies. They were only too happy to help once they knew I was doing this for you."

That brought a smile to Sam's face. "So she's in Gainesville, huh?"

"Yeah. Fi and I were thinking it'd be nice to take a little road trip one of these days. They've got some nice scenery up that way, or so I've heard." He paused. "If you think Veronica would be okay with it, we could make it a foursome."

"Oh Mike, I don't think that putting Amanda and Ronnie in the same place is a good idea."

"Okay, then we'll go. Just the two of us."

"Let me think about it." Sam winced and took in a sharp breath of air.

"Sam, are you okay?"

He pressed his fingers to his temple and held his breath for a few seconds until the wave of pain passed.

"Sam?"

Still, he didn't answer.

"Sam, is Veronica there?"

He replied with a groan. "Sorry, Mike. It's these headaches. They're getting worse. But the doctor said that's a good thing. He gave me something to take for them, but they put me right out and make me sick to my stomach. I've had enough sleeping and puking to last me for awhile."

"You better go rest. We'll talk about seeing Amanda later. 'Bye, Sam."

"'Bye, Mike."

He made it back to the bedroom, dropped his phone onto the night stand, and himself onto the bed. Being horizontal didn't help or hurt his head, so he got up again and went to the bathroom. He felt guilty for not telling Mike that Veronica had left him alone to go to the store. It was just him and Tana. He was doing so well around the place, they both figured it was safe. No need to have anyone freaking out about it. Now that this headache was driving him up the wall, he wished she was there. Without her, he had to find his medication alone. Tana could help, but he decided he needed to do this himself, as there might be times in the future where he needed assistance and Tana might not be there for some reason. It was his old sense of self-reliance kicking in. Deep down he knew it was ridiculous, but he was growing tired of depending upon other people and a dog in order to survive.

Sam knew Veronica kept his meds on the counter. Two bottles sat to the right, one much larger than the other. He shook them, but he couldn't tell which was which. The only way was to pick one and open it. The larger bottle held his daily dosage of the regeneration drug that had a name so long he couldn't even think it, let alone pronounce it; he figured that out by the size of the pills. The second bottle must have been the codeine that they prescribed for more intense pain. He should take that, but he hated the nausea that came with it. Considering how badly his head hurt, he figured he needed three aspirin and he'd be good. But where did she keep the aspirin?

He opened the medicine cabinet and searched for a bottle that seemed to be the right shape. Through his senses of touch and smell, he was able to find what he thought was the right thing. He touched a tablet to his tongue, detected the sharp bitterness of aspirin, and nodded in satisfaction. He took three. Then he returned to the bed, removed his sunglasses, and took a nap.

Some time during his sleep, Tana stuck her nose into his side and whined, but Sam was oblivious. She pressed harder, and he groaned, but didn't move. She barked. And barked. By the time Veronica came home, Tana was frantic. She waited at the garage door, and when Veronica came in with the bags, she almost tripped over the pacing animal.

"Tana, honey, what are you doing out here? You should be with Sam!"

Tana barked, turned and trotted for the bedroom. Veronica dropped the sacks of groceries onto the counter and followed. Seeing the dog's agitation, she quickened her pace. Something must have happened to Sam. She would never leave his side unless he was in trouble and needed help. Veronica felt a pang of guilt. She never should have left him alone! It was only an hour, but a lot could happen in that time.

"Sam. Sam, honey, wake up." He was out cold, but at her jostling he aroused grumpily.

"Oh, Ronnie, I was trying to sleep!" He opened his eyes. "I was ignoring Tana."

"You shouldn't do that, Sam! She was terrified by the time I got home!"

Suddenly, the look on Sam's face changed to one of wonder. "Honey. It's getting lighter."

"What do you mean, it's getting lighter?"

"It's not so black anymore. I can see light. My head is killing me right now, but I can see light!"


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Veronica sat beside Sam's bed, caressing his hand while he slept. As soon as he told her he could see light, she called Dr. Kirby. He advised her to bring Sam to the hospital. They ran some tests again and they were waiting for the results. In the meantime, they put him on some medication that helped with his headaches and put him to sleep for awhile, but because of the uncertainty with how it would react with the nerve regeneration medication, they decided to hospitalize him just in case.

On the way to the hospital, Veronica called Michael and asked him to pass the word. He was only too glad to oblige. Now they sat in the room with her, Michael, Fi, and Maddie on a pull out couch, and Jesse took up the second chair. Now and then soft whispered words would pass among them, but no one wanted to wake up Sam.

Fiona watched Veronica where she sat beside him, her left arm resting on the rail, chin pressing into it as she stared at him, and her right hand laid atop his, caressing it now and then or wrapping her fingers around his. She was beat. Fiona could see it around her eyes. They'd all been there since mid afternoon, and it was now well past supper time. She got up only a couple of times, and neither was for a trip to the cafeteria. It was high time the woman took care of herself. Fi still had her reservations about Veronica, but she wasn't going to let her neglect herself at Sam's expense.

Fiona whispered to Michael. "Let's get Veronica out of here for awhile."

Michael nodded and leaned over to Maddie. "Ma, we're going to get a bite to eat. You want to come along?"

"I suppose. Just sitting here isn't doing any good."

"Jesse, we're going to grab a bite. Wanna join us?"

"Sure." He saw Fiona shake her head slightly, and he furrowed his brow.

She approached him and whispered, "We're trying to get Veronica out for a little while. She needs it."

"Yeah, you're right." He sat back in his chair. Aloud so Veronica could hear, he said, "You know, I think I'll just stay here and keep Sam company. Bring me back something, okay?"

"Sure, Jesse." Michael let Maddie go ahead, and he watched as Fi approached Veronica.

"Hey, Veronica, why don't you come with us? Jesse'll hold down the fort here, and if something happens, he'll call us."

Veronica glanced up at Fiona, not sure what this woman was up to. But then she saw a compassionate look on her face, and it surprised her. Fi put a hand on her back and around to her far shoulder, gently urging her to her feet. "Where are we going?"

"It's probably too late for the cafeteria, but there are a few decent places to eat nearby." Fi gave her a smile. "Come on, Sam will be fine." All the while, she studied the woman with amazement. She honestly didn't expect Veronica to stick around, let alone take Sam in and deal with him one on one for over a month. But she did. And she took great care of him, too. She called either Michael or Fi and left regular reports if they didn't go visit Sam, took him to all his appointments, and did everything she could to help him progress in living blind, even though they lived with the hope that it would end. She was everything Fiona didn't think she would be, and she found herself having to silently apologize for underestimating her. Maybe some day she would tell her to her face.

"Veronica, they've got him pretty heavily sedated," Michael added with an encouraging tone. "Come on, you need to think about yourself, too."

"That's right," Maddie chimed in. "If you get sick when Sam needs you the most..." She didn't even want to finish the sentence and give voice to the things she'd been thinking. They knew next to nothing about Veronica, whether she had family in Miami or nearby. If something happened to her, would there be anyone to contact?

"You're right, all of you. Okay, let's go." She pulled herself up from the chair, leaned over the bed, and smoothed Sam's hair as she gave him a kiss on the forehead. Then she squeezed his hand and whispered, "I'll be back later, Sammy.."

They took her to a chain restaurant with a big menu, which only made it harder for her to order. Veronica knew she should have something, but her worry ate at her and dulled her hunger. She settled on a chicken caesar salad, a knee-jerk reaction to Fiona's ordering it first.

Fi smiled at her. "Excellent choice. Good for you, yet a little fattening at the same time."

"I suppose it won't hurt. I've lost too much weight lately. I'm already the skinniest person in my family."

"What do you mean?" Fi asked and sipped on her drink.

"Everyone in my family, my parents, my brothers and sisters, they were all overweight. My parents and two of my sisters died before they should have, and my last brother, who lives in Atlanta, has been battling his weight for years. I've always been extra careful about my figure because of them."

"Well, right now I think you could stand to gain a few pounds," Maddie said. "Want some of mine?"

Veronica smiled at Maddie. "When Sam and I met up, I'd been starting to bulk up again. So I guess I can thank him for helping me slim down." She laughed weakly. "Although, this wouldn't be my first choice for a weight loss program."

"Speaking of family," Maddie said, deciding it was time to change the subject. "Do you have any living in Miami?"

"Does an ex husband count? Although, I haven't seen him in years. Who knows where he is now...and I don't care, either. He helped me make my money, but that's all that was ever important to him. I was just a trophy wife, and the only time he took a real interest in me was when I wanted to learn how he made his money. He taught me well." She shrugged and took a sip of her water. "With Sam, I know I'll always be second to you all and your work, but I'm a close second." She smiled. "I'm okay with that, because I know you're doing a lot of good. And he's happy working with you."

"He's happy with you, Veronica," Michael said as he met her eyes with his. "I know when you two broke up, he was devastated. He wouldn't let anyone see it, but I know him. He couldn't hide it from me. That's when he started doing some digging trying to find his wife."

"He told me about that, but he came up on a bunch of dead ends and kind of gave up, because he figured he'd lost me, so what was the point?"

Michael nodded. "Exactly. So when he asked me for help, I was only too glad to give it. He's got to bury the past, and the only way he can do it is to free himself from this old ball and chain."

"Oh Michael, did you really call Amanda a ball and chain?" Fi rolled her eyes. "I hate that term! It's derogatory!"

"I didn't mean it like that, Fi!" He shook his head and glanced at the ceiling. "Women!"

"Men," Fi countered with a small smile.

"Anyway, the point is, Jesse and I have been doing some investigating into Amanda. She lives in Gainesville, she's a nurse at one of the hospitals there, and she's been married to some other guy for the past ten years."

Veronica blinked, that bit of news astounding her. "But, how can she be married to someone else?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out. There were never any divorce papers that Sam signed. Maybe so much time went by that she forgot they were still married and never made mention of it when applying for a license."

"Is that possible?"

"These county clerk offices are so busy, unless something looks suspicious, they won't bother doing a search for other marriage records."

"What makes it even more difficult is that she and Sam were married in Las Vegas, at one of those tacky little chapels." Fi made a face. "I don't think those places are all that good about keeping records. At least some of them aren't."

"Jesse and Fi have been checking on them, and so far, no luck." Michael told her. "It's possible that Amanda was hedging a bet, so to speak, that no one would ever find those records when she married her second husband."

Maddie, who had been silent during this exchange, asked, "So, if you confront her about this, what happens?"

"We could go after her for polygamy, but it's not worth the effort. It sure will make it easier to get her to sign divorce papers," Michael replied. "Jesse has a friend working on those already, and as soon as Sam can sign on the dotted line, we need to get her to sign them and then we'll file them for Sam."

"Wow. I never thought it would end up like this." Veronica sat back to let the server set her plate in front of her. "Here I thought there'd be some woman waiting for him all these years, pining away, and the moment he came back into her life, she'd be all happy."

Fi dug into her salad. "Well, she did stay single for, what, twenty years or so?"

"If she didn't marry someone else that we just don't know about." Michael suggested as he picked up his fork.

"So that's the plan, to have Sam sign the papers, and then go after Amanda."

"Well, Jesse and I are going to deliver them ourselves. If Sam wants to be there, that's up to him."

"I see." She smiled for the first time since Sam was admitted. "You know, Sam is really lucky to have friends like you. I don't think any of the girls at the country club would do all that you've done if I were in his shoes." She blinked, her eyes filled with emotion. Her voice came out soft as she said, "Thank you. Thank you all."

"You're welcome. We just want Sam to be happy."

"I promise you, he will be." Veronica beamed.

* * *

"The test results are very promising, Veronica," Dr. Kirby announced as he entered the hospital room. She had just gotten up from where she camped out on the pull out couch and spent a little time getting herself together. Sam was still asleep.

"What does that mean?" She stood beside the bed, a look of incomprehension on her face.

"It means that Sam is in transition with his sight. We'll let him rest another day and then take him off the sedative. We've given him some anti-inflammatory medication because we discovered that the regeneration was causing some brain swelling. That's why he was having such severe headaches. But we're keeping him on those drugs because we don't want to halt the progress. At this point, I think he'll have to take them for another six to eight months, but after that time he will be able to see. We just don't know how well yet."

"Doctor, that's the best news we've had! Thank you!"

"Will you be calling his friends to let them know?" He smiled at her, knowing he really didn't have to ask. Veronica's face gave her away. She couldn't wait to get on the phone.

"You can be sure I will!"

A couple of days later, Sam's medications were balanced and he was cleared to go. There had been no new progress, but they were hopeful. Veronica took him back to the beach house, but he was getting restless. He tried spending his time reading a book published in Braille that he'd picked up from the library. He'd gotten quite adept at it, but it was still slow going, and he didn't have the patience for it.

"Call Mike." He sat in the beach chair while Veronica sat in one beside him on the deck, reading a magazine. Tana took advantage of the shade they provided and slept beneath Sam's chair.

"Hey, Sam. How are you doing? Any news?"

"No. I was hoping you had something for me, like those divorce papers. I want to sign them and get them up to Amanda as soon as possible."

"Jesse was going to pick them up this morning, and then we were planning on stopping by this afternoon. How about we come and take you to lunch?"

"Sure. Hang on a second." He turned to Veronica. "Think you'll be okay here by yourself? Mike wants to take me to lunch and get those papers signed."

Veronica giggled. "Of course, I'll be fine! You boys go on. It's been awhile since you've spent some quality time with them."

"Alrighty. Okay Mike, it's a go. Be here about noon? There's a great little cantina not far from here."

"Sounds good, Sam. We'll see you at noon."

They arrived a little early. Veronica sent him off with a smile and a small container of the medications he needed to take with his lunch. She kissed him, and he captured her lips for a few brief seconds.

"Love you, Ronnie. You've been amazing through this whole thing." His smile was as bright as the sandy beach. "I can't wait until we're free to make this legal between us."

His admission sent a lightning bolt down to her toes. "Me too, honey. See you later."

While they waited for their meals, Michael and Jesse had a beer, but Sam had to settle for a soda with a twist of lime. He detected the yeasty scent of their beverages and wished for the day when he could join them, but for now he had to lay off alcohol entirely. Not being able to see the drinks helped, but not completely. He quickly thought of something that would help get his mind off beer.

"Okay, so where are those papers?"

"Right here, Sam." Jesse opened a manila envelope and slipped out a stack of pristine white typed pages. He went over what they said, and when he was finished, he asked, "Do you agree with all that?"

"Yeah. Where do I sign?"

Michael gave him a pen, and Sam clenched it in his left hand as he waited for Jesse to direct his hand to the line. "Right there."

"Okay. Let me know if it looks really bad, will ya? It's been a few months since I've had to write anything." He signed his name, and waited.

"Well, it didn't run across the line, but it looks like your signature. Don't worry, we'll get the next one better."

"How many places do I have to sign?"

"Just two more. There are three copies. And then Mike or I can sign as witnesses."

"You're probably the better choice, Jesse, since you've got the notary license," Michael reminded him.

"Yeah, well, you're his best friend, I just thought you might want to do it."

"It doesn't matter. Let's just get it done so we can get this whole thing over with. Where's the next line?" He signed it and said, "We should have made this a breakfast meeting and then gone up to Gainesville."

"We'll go first thing in the morning, Sam."

"Thanks, Mike." He gave him a crooked grin. As the ink dried on the paper, he felt a lightness in his soul. He was one step closer to freedom.

Sam finished signing the papers, Jesse signed and notarized them, and stuffed them back into the envelope as their food arrived. They talked about anything but the divorce or Sam's blindness, just like old times. It felt good. He'd forgotten how he used to have a life before all this. When every day was lived on a perch waiting for something to change, and everything stayed the same, but you're still tortured by the very things that were supposed to cure you, life could get pretty dull. Thank God he had Veronica. As much as he appreciated all Fi had done, he never could have imagined her being around long term like this.

After lunch, they returned to Veronica's and spent some time on the beach, and then Michael and Jesse had to get back to Miami. They made plans to pick Sam up at six the next morning, and if they hit traffic right, they could be in Gainesville in time for lunch, grab a quick bite, and get their business taken care of without having to stay the night.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Jesse got in the back seat with Tana, and Sam rode beside Michael. He didn't sleep well the night before. Too much thinking about Amanda, and what her reaction would be when her long lost husband showed up with divorce papers and blind. Just thinking about it again made him nervous. He ordered a coffee and a bowl of cereal at a small diner they hit before leaving, and he found it almost impossible to eat.

"Sam, Veronica said you need to take your meds on a full stomach," Michael said, attempting to convince him to eat. "And if you don't take this stuff, you're only hurting yourself."

"I know, Mike. I'm just really on edge today. I keep thinking this was a bad idea to show up like this, unannounced. I mean, what is she gonna think when she sees this guy with a guide dog come up and say, 'Hi honey, I'm home!'"

"You're seriously gonna say that? What's the matter with you, man!"

"Jesse, I was just trying to make a point," Sam replied with a sigh, but he cracked a smile. "That does sound pretty ridiculous, doesn't it."

"Yeah, I definitely would come up with another line."

"How about 'Surprise!'"

"Well, it would be that, for sure," Jesse said and snickered.

Sam's shoulders slumped. "I don't know what I'm gonna say to her! I can't just go up to her and shove those papers in her face and say 'Sign these.'"

"You've got plenty of time to think about it," Michael informed him. "Just eat, and then we'll get on the road."

The meds and the soft humming of the road under the wheels soothed Sam into a light sleep as Michael drove northward. Despite the little delay in getting on the road, they arrived shortly after noon. Michael knew which hospital Amanda worked at, so he went there. He parked in the visitor lot, nudged Sam, and said, "Hey, sleeping beauty, we're here!"

"Huh, already?" Sam took off his sunglasses and blinked. The glare would have been blinding if he could see. He quickly put them back.

"Hoping you'd be cured before you saw her again?"

Sam laughed. "You read my mind, Mikey! No, seriously, I just like to check every once in awhile. I mean, the sunglasses block out a lot of the light, but even so, nothing is ever blackest of blacks anymore. Unless it's the middle of the night."

"That's great." Michael smiled, even though Sam couldn't see it.

From the back seat, Jesse piped up. "I'm about ready to push you out of that seat, Sam. My legs need a stretching!"

Sam got out, turned and moved the seat so Tana and Jesse could get out. Tana leaped over Jesse's legs.

"Hey, dog, you ever hear of manners?"

"Ladies first, Jesse," Sam joked. He found her sitting beside his feet and grabbed her harness. "Okay, Mikey, lead us to my philandering woman."

"Not like you're totally innocent, Sam."

"That's beside the point, Mike. She started it."

That statement shut Michael up and made him wonder just how much Sam knew about his wife's life after he left. Over the years, he heard bits and pieces, how they were practically still newlyweds when he joined the SEAL team and had to go away. It didn't take long for her to get lonely, obviously, and find companionship elsewhere. But then, Michael had no idea what Sam had been doing on leaves. Probably not being a boy scout. It didn't matter anymore. The only important thing was for them to get done what they came for, and get the ball rolling on this divorce.

Michael led the way to the reception desk. "Hi, could you direct us to where we could find Amanda..." He quickly consulted the front of the envelope where Jesse had written her name. "Amanda Wallace."

He glanced at Sam and noticed his brows knit together. The last name obviously wasn't her maiden name, because Sam didn't recognize it.

"Amanda is in today. She's clocked out right now at lunch." The receptionist looked up at Michael and liked what she saw. "I would try the cafeteria, right down the hall straight to the end, go left and take the elevators downstairs."

"Thank you." Michael stepped away from the desk and met up with Sam and Jesse who stood nearby. "Cafeteria. We'll try there first."

"Do you guys even know what she looks like? Or am I the only one who knows?"

"No, I got access to her drivers license photo."

"Oh nice."

"Actually, it wasn't too bad. I could see why you went for her, Sam. She still is quite the looker."

"Thanks for telling me that, Jesse. My last encounter with my soon to be ex, and I can't even get one last picture in my head."

Michael clamped a hand on Sam's shoulder. "You're probably better off that way, Sam."

They got off the elevator and entered the seating area of the cafeteria. The two men scanned the faces while Sam waited patiently holding onto Tana's harness and leash in both hands. A few people glanced at them in curiosity, but they were left to themselves.

"I think that's her, Jesse. Over by the window."

Jesse paused, and Sam heard paper rustling. "Yeah, that looks like her, alright." He let out a breath. "You ready for this, Sam?"

"I suppose so." He suddenly wished he could turn around and run. He'd been less scared going into a high-risk extraction. Tana picked up on his fear, whimpered, and stuck to her spot on the floor. "Come on, Tana. Let's go. Come on. You're making this harder on me." He leaned down and caressed her under the jaw. "Come on, baby. Let's get this over with as quick as we can."

Tana stood on her four paws and did her job. Michael and Jesse flanked them, and Michael held the envelope in his hands. As they neared the table, the two women who sat with Amanda turned their attention to the three men. They smiled at the three handsome men as they stopped.

"Excuse us," Michael said as he looked straight at Amanda. From where he stood he could read her security tag. They found the right woman, but he asked anyway. "Are you Amanda Wallace?"

"Yes. Yes I am." She answered Michael, but here eyes locked on the man in the middle and she fought the urge to gape.

Like a ghost, albeit a ghost that had aged about thirty years, Sam stood before her. She never thought she would see him again unless he were lying flat in a coffin, dead. Because that was how she thought of him all these years, if she ever bothered to think of him at all. They were far too young and too impetuous when they married. Not to mention, out of their minds. She regretted it the next day, and when he went off to serve his country, he left her for large blocks of time with no word. What was she to do? His career would have put stress on a good marriage, but their sham was doomed from the start.

In a matter of seconds, her mind raced through the years. While she waited for him, Amanda decided to have fun and live her life. Then she tried to find him, but her heart wasn't really in it, and so she continued on her own path and found her own happiness. All those years she resented him, and now that he came back, she hated him for showing his face.

His name came out in a whisper. "Sam? Sam, is that really you?"

Sam turned his head toward the voice. It had been a long time since he heard it last. Despite all the time that had passed, he gave her a smile as he answered. "Yes, Amanda, it's me."

"It...it can't be. I was told you were dead!"

That wiped the smile off his face. "Who told you that, and when?"

"About two months after our first anniversary, the Navy sent someone to my doorstep. They said that you'd been injured, severely injured, in an operation. They wouldn't tell me where you were. And I never heard anything afterwards."

"Amanda, if I'd been dead, they would have let you know. There would have been a funeral, and benefits..." Michael interrupted just as Sam's voice cracked with emotion.

He touched Sam's arm. "Just a second. Jesse and I are going to take these two ladies and let you two talk in private."

"Thanks, Mike."

"There's a chair right in front of you."

Reluctantly, the two women got up and followed Jesse and Michael to a table a good distance away. Sam pulled out the chair and sat in it, imagining that Amanda stared at him the entire time. Tana settled down next to his seat.

"Okay...now, where were we? That's right. About the time you abandoned me."

"I didn't abandon you. If anyone abandoned anyone, it was you when you left on your missions."

"You knew what you were getting into when we got married!"

"No, I didn't! I was young, naive, and had no idea about what it was like to be a military wife. After I didn't hear anything from the Navy or you, I got scared and went home. Every once in awhile I'd try to find out something, but...that paperwork we got from our marriage...it seems the government didn't think it was worth the paper it was printed on. As far as they were concerned, we weren't married."

"It was all legal."

"I know. Or, at least I thought so at the time." She paused. "After awhile, when you never made contact with me, I ran into Mack. He said you were still alive, but you were off on another mission. Why didn't you ever try to contact me?"

"I did, but you were already gone off base. No one knew where you'd gone."

"You knew where my family lived. Did you bother trying there, because that's where I was for two years!"

He sighed. This wasn't getting them anywhere. "You know, as far as I'm concerned, we both screwed up. We never should have gotten married to begin with."

"You got that right."

Sam folded his hands on the table and let out a sigh. "Amanda, I just want...I just want a divorce. That's why I'm here. My friends have the paperwork you need to sign, and..."

"It's pretty hard to sign divorce papers when you're dead, Sam."

"Gee, when did that happen? I feel pretty alive."

"After seven years of not hearing from you, I went to the government and asked that you be declared legally dead so I could break our piddly useless marriage contract that they wouldn't even recognize."

"And they did it?"

She shrugged.

"Amanda, did they do it?"

"I don't know, Sam, and I didn't care! At that point, I was done with you no matter what!" He could hear her sit back in her chair, and her uniform whispered as she folded her arms up. "You know, it's pretty rude to sit there with those glasses on. I can't even see your eyes."

"Even if I took these glasses off, I wouldn't be able to see yours."

There was a long silence, except for a scraping of a chair on the floor. If he hadn't heard her breathing, Sam would have thought she'd gotten up and left. To have him show up 30 years later, and blind, he figured that must have thrown her for a loop, and she had nothing to say.

It tugged at her heartstrings too, but Amanda had become so comfortable in her hate that she wouldn't let herself feel anything toward him.

"Sam, there's a seeing eye dog under the table."

He gave her a smile. "Yeah, they usually accompany blind people. I'm surprised you didn't see Tana when we arrived."

"I wasn't paying attention until you were practically breathing down our necks. When did this happen?"

He hesitated. "What month is it?"

"It's August, why?"

"Okay. It was in late March. I was on a job, can't really talk about it. But I got a really good blow to the head and had my airway cut off just long enough to do some brain damage."

"Sam, I'm sorry."

"Oh come on, Amanda. Don't pity me. I've been getting along just fine, thanks to my friends and Veronica. Yeah, she's a woman who's stuck with me through the pain, the illness from these meds I'm taking, and hasn't left me or even considered leaving when the going got really rough. So I don't need anything from you but your signature."

"Sam, you don't get it. There's nothing to divorce."

"Yeah, yeah, you said I'm supposed to be dead. So how am I able to open a bank account, update my drivers license and do all sorts of things dead people can't legally do all these years? Somebody gave you a bum steer, Amanda. I'm still alive, and everybody in the government knows it." He paused, taking his turn to lean back in his seat and fold his arms. "So, it looks to me like you could be in some hot water...Mrs. Wallace. There's this little thing called polygamy..."

"I know what it is, Sam! Where are those damn papers! I'll sign them, and then you can officially divorce me and I'll never have to see you again!"

Sam raised his arm and waved Michael over. "Is she ready, Sam?"

"I think so, Mike."

Michael pulled out the papers with a sober expression on his face. Amanda couldn't even look at him as she ripped the papers out of his hands, signed them, and handed them back.

Sam leaned forward and rested his arms on the table. "Amanda, I had really hoped that we could have met under better circumstances."

"Just go, Sam. You got what you wanted, now leave me alone."

He listened to the tone of her voice. It shook slightly, but it wasn't from sorrow. Time had not been good to her memory of him, and as he stood and picked up Tana's harness, he realized that she hated him. _Did she ever love me? Or was I just a one night roll in the sack that turned into a burden the next day when the booze wore off and she saw that piece of paper on the table in our motel room?_ If someone had asked him after that night if he loved her, he would have said 'No'. But in all the time he spent away from her, her memory became larger than life. He imagined she loved him, and the thought of having that security to go home to, if he needed it, caused a fire to burn inside for her. He even tried to save himself for her, until he found out that his friend Mack had stolen her away. Then the tables were turned, and his hurt at her betrayal left no room for going back.

"Have a nice life, Mrs. Wallace." Sam turned on his heel and Tana led him to where Jesse and Michael stood.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

With their business done, the trio grabbed some lunch and got back into the Charger to make the long trip home. Michael couldn't stop stealing concerned glances at Sam. He seemed awfully quiet, and in profile he saw his eyes staring straight ahead, blinking rapidly now and then. His face was set with a stony expression, lips pressed firmly together. He suspected that Sam was thinking about the past, questioning why things turned out the way they did, wishing he could have done things differently.

It was no surprise to him that Amanda had a chip her shoulder. Sam barely mentioned her over the years, and when he did, it was as if she were a footnote in his history. When he was younger, he was wild and stupid when it came to women. As he got older he hadn't changed much, but blindness forced Sam to finally grow up. It remained to be seen what would happen when he could see again. Somehow, he had a feeling that this time Veronica wouldn't be that easy to get rid of, and today proved that Sam wasn't about to let her slip out of his fingers. Knowing that made Michael smile.

Between the long trip and dealing with Amanda, Sam was emotionally drained. He fell asleep somewhere around Orlando and didn't wake up until they stopped for supper. Michael's phone rang, and he picked up.

"Hi, Fi. What's up?"

"Michael, are you back in town yet?"

"Just about. We're going to stop for a quick bite and then take Sam to Veronica's. After that, Jesse and I will be back."

"Veronica called, and she said she tried to get a hold of Sam but he wasn't picking up. She was worried, so she just called me."

"And you said..."

"I'd call you and find out if you were all okay. She was seriously upset, Michael. If she hadn't gotten a hold of me, I think she would have jumped into the car and driven up there herself to find you." She paused, and he heard her swallow. "She really does love him."

"I know, Fi. And I know the feeling is mutual. I'll make sure he gives her a call."

"Just take him home to her. She'll be really glad you did."

Michael smiled. It was at that point that he realized that the icy wall of protection that Fiona had for Sam when it came to Veronica had finally and completely melted away. He wasn't sure if they'd ever be friends, but if they formed a bond, he had a feeling that they could be a formidable force.

"Okay, I'm headed there now. Thanks, Fi." He closed the connection and approached Sam and Jesse. They were waiting outside the restaurant.

"We were gonna go in and order but we decided to wait for you, Mike. Everything okay?" Jesse glanced at him, sizing up the expression on Michael's face. He appeared casual, as if everything was good, but something was lurking underneath.

"We're not staying. Sam, I need to get you home to Veronica. She's been trying to call you all day and hasn't been able to get through."

Sam scowled. "Ahhh, that phone! I think there's something wrong with it. The battery keeps dying on me." He pulled it out of his pocket, unlocked it, and tried to touch the screen.

"Yeah, it's dead, Sam."

"I think I need a new phone, something more blind friendly. If I didn't remember where all the apps were that I used before I lost my sight, I'd be screwed with this thing." He slipped it back into his pocket. "Can I borrow yours?"

"Sure."

He got through to Veronica. "Hi, honey, it's me."

"Sam, did your phone die again?"

He smiled, the first warmth that Michael and Jesse had seen on his face all day. "Yeah, pumpkin, it's dead again."

"I'm getting you a new phone tomorrow, Sam. No arguments!"

"No arguments, sweetie. Look, we're on our way and we should be there in..."

"A half hour," Michael prompted as he looked at his watch.

"Mike says about a half hour."

"Good! I'll have dinner waiting. You boys be careful."

"We will. See you soon, baby." He hung up the phone and gave it back to Michael. He felt a sudden wave of pain and a dizzy spell overtook him.

Michael saw the look on Sam's face change as it hit. He and Jesse instinctively reached out and held onto him. "Sam, you okay?"

"Oh wow. That was not too good. If I have another one like that I'll have to call the doc tomorrow. He said I shouldn't experience any more pain with the medication I'm on now, but I also had a little vertigo."

"It's okay. We'll get you to the car and home before you know it."

Veronica came out the front door to meet them when the Charger pulled up into the circular drive. The car barely stopped, and despite how Sam was feeling, he shoved the door open, spread his arms wide, and she threw hers around him. He wrapped her up in his and stood kissing her with such intensity, Jesse got out of the car on Michael's side because he didn't want to get in the way of their happy reunion.

"Hey, Sam?"

Sam broke away from her lips long enough to reply. "Yeah, Mike?"

"You, uh, mind getting out of the way so Jesse can take over your seat and Tana can get out?"

He and Veronica laughed as they disengaged themselves from each other. She tugged on his shirt and directed him around the door, and Tana slipped out to join them.

"We've got the paperwork, and we'll get it filed tomorrow, man." Jesse patted Sam's arm as he passed and got into the car. "We'll talk later, let you know how things progress. Okay?"

"Thanks, guys. I...I really don't know what to say." His smile was bright again. That was thanks enough for them.

"You don't have to say anything, Sam. You two have a really good night." Jesse was grinning, and Sam didn't need to see his face to know it.

The Charger pulled away, and they were alone. They stood in the drive with their arms wrapped around each other. "I take it you got her signature."

"Yeah. I'm glad, too. It wasn't a teary homecoming, if you know what I mean."

"She doesn't deserve you, Sam."

"She didn't know the same guy you know, Ronnie. I've changed."

She turned and snaked her arms around his neck as she pressed into him. "I know you've changed just since you became blind. I loved you before, Sam, but now…now that I've seen how you take on a challenge head on and dedicate yourself to beating it...well, that makes you even more attractive in my eyes." Her hands pulled him down to kiss her, and the only thing that could break them apart was a sound.

"Ronnie...mmmph, Ronnie..."

"Not...now...Sam." She punctuated the words with little kisses.

"Is that the smoke detector going off?"

"Oh no!" She shrieked. "Dinner!"

He suddenly found himself standing alone, but Tana came to him and rubbed against his pant leg. "Hey Tana, don't worry. I knew you were there. Come on, let's go inside and see what Ronnie burned. Hopefully not the house!"

* * *

With his eyesight progressively returning as the weeks passed, after another month Sam was scheduled for exams every two weeks. The morning of his next one, he awoke, got himself into the shower and prepared for the day. As he leaned over to turn off the water, he saw the letters on the faucet. They looked like dots, but he knew what they were.

"Ronnie!"

She heard him and came running, not sure whether it was a cry of alarm. She never took chances anymore. "What is it, Sam? Are you okay?"

"Look." He pointed to the faucet. "I can't read it, but I can see sort of see the letters."

"Sam, that's great!" She hugged him, even though he got her wet. When they parted, she stole a glance at him. It was impossible not to. He'd regained the weight and he was looking mighty fine again. He and Michael were going to a local gym and working out together three times a week to get him into shape for when he went back to work. So much had changed for the better since Sam started seeing the light.

Sam blushed, because he knew what she was doing. He looked at her, and his smile faded as he gazed in awe. He reached out and touched her hair. His face got closer to hers, and he said, "Ronnie. I can see your eyes. It's the most beautiful thing I've seen in a long time."

"Oh, Sam!" She burst into happy tears and pressed herself into him again.

By the time they were through, he didn't need a towel to dry off, and Tana waited patiently outside the bedroom door.

* * *

He'd been on the treatments for six months, and Sam had his first appointment with an ophthalmologist. He could see a lot more detail now, but everything was blurry, so he needed glasses. Not sunglasses to hide his blindness, but normal glasses so that he could see the world more clearly and the world could see him. The first time he put on the new prescription and saw Veronica sitting beside him holding his hand as she fought tears, he found himself blinking back the heady emotions himself.

"You look great, Ronnie." His smile could have lit up the room.

"So do you, Sam."

"Everything fits just fine. If you need an adjustment, like if the lenses seem too weak or too strong, let us know."

"Thanks. I will." He shook the doctor's hand. "One thing I've learned is that sight is too precious a thing to take for granted."

"I wish more people knew that," he replied.

As they stepped out onto the sidewalk, Sam looked all around him and grinned. The lenses transitioned to dark as the sun hit them, but it didn't affect the way he saw things. "Ronnie, I never thought I'd be so glad to see Miami again!"

She laughed and held him close.

He hugged her, but when she released him, he looked down at the sweet yellow lab who sat faithfully at his side. "Ronnie, what are we going to do about Tana? I don't really need her anymore, but...but I don't think I can let her go. And yet, like the woman who had her before, I think it would be a disservice to her if I kept her as just a pet. You know?"

"I know. Take some time to think about it, Sam. I'll go with whatever decision you make."

"Thanks, honey." He kissed her temple and left his right hand around her waist. "Let's go. There's something I've been wanting to do for awhile now."

Sam turned her toward the mall. She asked him where they were going, but he wouldn't tell her until he stopped in front of a jewelry store. He smiled, opened the door and let her inside, then followed with Tana. He had a bit of fun with the salesclerk, who didn't realize that Sam could see until they'd been there awhile and his lenses went back to normal. She saw the guide dog and assumed he was completely blind. In the meantime, she tried to explain the cut and style of the rings that Veronica tried in terms that a blind person could understand. By the time they walked out of the store with a new ring on Veronica's left hand and a pair of matching wedding bands in a box, the poor woman was totally confused.

Now they had to wait for Sam's divorce to become final. For him, he couldn't decide which was harder: enduring all the time he waited to be able to see again, or waiting for his past to finally stop chasing him so he could start a new future.

* * *

Veronica drove Sam to Boca. While his vision was near perfect with glasses, he still didn't feel confident enough to drive yet. The medications disoriented him at times, but at least they were cutting them back now and the episodes lessened considerably. Tana sat on the floor in back and stuck her head between the seats. With tears in his eyes, Sam reached out and petted her. He wondered what would go through her head when she lost another master. Did it hurt? Did she feel like it was something she did to drive him away? He wished he could get into her head and let her know that it wasn't her fault.

Parking in a spot near the training center door, Veronica hesitated as she saw Sam and Tana together. They were going to miss each other, and she would miss that sweet, lovable dog herself. She and Sam spent many hours agonizing over whether to send her back to the facility. In the end, he made his decision, but he changed his mind several times until he changed it one final time. Even then, Veronica thought he would back out at the last second. She wondered if he would be this crazy when they got married and try to back out of that too. Sticking to the right decision made her feel better. She felt confident that when it was time for the 'I dos', he would make the right choice there as well.

Sam walked with Tana like he always did, even though he didn't need her to see for him anymore. "I don't want to un-train her," he said to Veronica when they left on their trip, and he obviously felt strongly enough about it to continue right up until it was time for him to say his final goodbye. He got down on his knees, looked into her eyes, and said, "You've been a good girl, Tana. Now you go take care of somebody else like you took care of me." While he spoke to her, he rubbed her behind the ears the way she liked, and when he couldn't speak anymore, he put his arms around her neck and body and gave her a hug. Every eye that could see the display had a film of moisture covering it.

When he parted from her and got to his feet, he asked, "Do you have someone lined up for her yet?"

"Yes, Mr. Axe. She's going to go with a 15 year old girl. She lost her vision from a disease. She'll never have the chance you had."

His hopeful eyes locked onto the woman. "But that means that Tana won't be shuffled off to anyone else for the rest of her life, right?"

"That's correct. Don't worry, Mr. Axe, these dogs are very resilient." The handler smiled at him. "Good luck!"

"Thanks." He swiped at his eyes and watched as she took Tana away behind a metal door. Tana waited for her to open it, looked back at Sam, and wagged her tail. Then she disappeared from his life forever.

He found it hard to move for several minutes afterwards. Veronica stood by silently, rubbing his arm in sympathy. Then he let out a deep sigh and turned toward the door.

On the way back to Veronica's, he had a thoughtful expression on his face as he studied the road ahead. "Maybe we could get a dog like Tana."

"Sam," Veronica chuckled. "There will never be another dog like Tana! And besides, who's going to take her for walks and take care of her when you're away on a job? Me! That's who. I'd rather get a cat if you want a pet."

"A cat? Nah. It wouldn't be the same." He sighed, the pain of his loss still perceptible. "We're probably better off pet-less."

"Yeah."

He reached for her free hand and held it all the way home.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Home was still the beach house for a couple more weeks. Sam had one last appointment with Dr. Kirby, who declared that there was no longer a need for Sam to take the drugs. It was time to let his body take over and either improve his eyes naturally or leave them the way they were. He'd already had a new prescription for his glasses. They didn't look like the bottoms of soda bottles, and they were light enough that he could change to a frameless kind. He hated wearing glasses, and anything to make them less conspicuous was okay in his book. Maybe in a year's time he could switch to contacts.

Michael noticed the new glasses when Sam pulled up in his car and parked across from Carlito's. Sam looked both ways, and when the traffic cleared he hurried across the street. Amazing, how something like that could ever be considered commonplace! "Hey Sam, like the new look!"

"Thanks, Mikey." He took his seat and glanced up as their server approached.

"Can I get you anything?"

Sam recognized her voice, and he looked up at her and grinned. "Melinda, right?"

"Yes." She looked down and noticed that there was something different about him. The dog was missing, for one thing, and his glasses were very different.

"Yeah, it's been awhile since I was here last. I got my sight back."

"So I see," she giggled self-consciously at the pun, then she quickly shifted gears and asked again if he would like to order.

"Sure. I'll have a mojito." Just saying the word made his smile widen.

"Sam, aren't you worried about the meds?"

"Nope, they took me off them last week, Mike. I thought I told you that."

Fiona shook her head in pity. "He's been too busy worrying about Heinrich again."

"That guy's like a bad rash, Mike. What's the scoop on him?"

Michael talked about his nemesis as the three sipped their drinks and hung out like old times. Sam hadn't realized just how much he missed this until he was back at it again. He listened as Michael relayed the intelligence he received from the CIA. It looked like they were sending him to Heinrich, rather than wait for Heinrich to come back to Miami.

"When do you leave, Mike?"

"In a couple of days." He set his beer down and eyed his friend. "Don't worry, Sam, I'll be back in time for the divorce and wedding."

"Are you sure, Michael?" Fi gave him a glare that said he better not be lying.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world. I'll hunt Heinrich down and be back in time for the whole thing. And if Pearce wants to debrief me, I'll tell her to stick it. I've got someplace more important to be." He grinned at Sam. "Can't have a wedding without the best man, right?"

"That's right." Sam reached across the table and clinked his glass with Michael's beer bottle. "Good luck on that. And come back in one piece, will ya? I love ya, Fi, but I don't wanna have to make you my best man."

Michael tilted his head and said, "I'll see what I can do. I promise!"

* * *

"Nervous, Sam?"

"No, why should I be?"

"Well, I figured since you seem to be having trouble with your tie, that you might be." Veronica approached him and worked at straightening it. Today was his day in court. They didn't know if Amanda would show or not. If not, it would be over in no time. If she did, it would mean that maybe she didn't hate Sam as much as he thought she did, and maybe she might have changed her mind. That was what made Veronica nervous. Just because Amanda had remarried prematurely didn't stop her fears. Apparently, Sam thought the same.

"Call me crazy, Ronnie, but I'm afraid she's actually going to show up and ruin everything."

"You're reading my mind again, Sam." She gave him a kiss for luck. "Let's go and get this over with. She wouldn't dare contest it. And if she does, well, there's always charging her with polygamy."

"I know. It still doesn't make it easy to stop thinking and worrying about it. But hey, we'll never know until we get there, so, let's do this." He looked down at her, seeing clearly in her eyes the love and support he found in her.

Theirs was a relationship that started because she was sexy, and then he found out she was rich, which sweetened the deal. But somewhere along the line it became less about the physical and financial. When she showed up in his life again and gave him her eyes to see the world, he learned what he truly had with her was the most precious thing he could ever attain. Sam desperately hoped that nothing would go wrong, because if she wasn't his by the end of the day... He didn't even want to think about that. It only increased the nerves.

Everything went off exactly as they'd hoped. Michael, Fiona, Jesse and Maddie appeared in the gallery with them, and when it was Sam's turn to go before the judge, they all held their breaths. The other table stayed unoccupied. The judge even waited a couple of minutes, just in case. From where they sat, they saw Sam's shoulders relax as the judge went through the motions and declared his marriage dissolved. His head bowed in relief, and his attorney patted him on the back. When he returned to his friends, his smile was broad and bright as he spoke.

"Hey, we've got a wedding to get to. Don't wanna be late!" Sam took Veronica's hand and threaded it through his arm, and the two of them led a small parade down the hall to another chamber where weddings were conducted. They could have had the most lavish ceremony and reception that Veronica's money could buy, but they didn't want to wait any longer. Within a matter of twenty minutes, one marriage was officially over and another began. It brought two people together for better or worse, two people who had seen how bad worse could be, and came out stronger and better together.

They ended their first day as husband and wife sitting in a couple of lounge chairs on a gulf coast beach watching the sun go down. Their fingers entwined and they kissed across the space between them.

_ It doesn't get any better than this_, he thought. Veronica didn't have to say anything. He knew she agreed.

After a week of taking it easy and spending time together having fun, they needed to get serious about the other stuff that made up their marriage. Sam and Veronica sat with her financial professionals, her attorney, and an insurance agent in that order. Nothing was left hidden, and what they revealed threw Sam. He knew Ronnie was rich, but he had no idea. And by the reaction he displayed, she knew once and for all that he wasn't just after her money, contrary to what some of her friends said. Sam wouldn't have to work a day for the rest of his life, but work satisfied him, and so he went back to his old routine. But there was always time to lavish on Ronnie.

* * *

Veronica answered the knock on the door carefully. Ever since she married Sam, she had to be careful that some goon wasn't on the other side wanting to get to him or hurt her. She glanced through the peephole and saw it was Fiona. The building that their condo was in had high security, but with it being Fiona, she was sure the other woman found a way to get in without being detected.

She opened the door and put on a smile for her. "Fiona! What a surprise! No one announced you were coming up."

"Veronica, you simply have to talk to the security chief around here. A child could have gotten into this place, it's that easy." Fiona walked in past Veronica and looked around the open concept living/dining/kitchen area decorated in white with aqua and light blue accents. The floor to ceiling windows and a sliding glass door opened up onto a balcony with an ocean view. "Wow, nice place!"

"Thanks. Um, Sam isn't here right now. He went off with Michael somewhere, I think."

"Yes." Fiona turned and gave her a smile. "I knew they were going off to chase down a lead. I was about to go get my nails done, and I thought of you."

"Me?" She glanced down at her fingernails. As usual, they were perfect. "I just had these done a couple of days ago!"

"Can you stand to get them done again? My treat."

Veronica stood in the foyer staring at Fiona as if she'd gone crazy. "I don't understand. What's going on here?"

Giving her a reassuring smile, Fiona came back to the area, took her by the elbow and said, "Come on. How can you resist a free manicure and pedicure?"

She wasn't sure what Fiona had in mind, but she was, after all, Sam's friend. She would hardly do anything to hurt her. While they'd managed to forge some kind of silent truce, Fiona was still not someone she could consider a friend. Maybe with a little girl time, that could change.

As they sat in the chairs letting their fingers and toes dry, Veronica looked over at Fiona. She had a small smile on her face. She noticed Veronica watching her and she turned.

"Something wrong?"

"Why are you doing this, Fiona?"

"Well, I thought it would be nice if we spent some time getting better acquainted. I mean, with Michael and Sam back working together, it's bound to happen that you'll be pulled into our circle. You can't stay outside it. Your marriage would never survive." Her smile widened. "Since everything that's happened, I've begun to look at Sam like a brother, an annoying brother, but one that you still love no matter what. He's very very happy with you, and I don't want to see anything come between you, because it would hurt him."

"That's very admirable, Fiona."

"Thank you. I thought if we got to know each other, maybe break down some of these walls that I feel we have built up against each other, well, it will only help Sam, Michael, and the team, not to mention you and me." She grinned. "So, where should we go to lunch?"

"Sam said if things worked out, he and Michael would be at Carlito's later."

"We could go a little early and surprise them."

Just then, Veronica's phone rang. She carefully picked it up from the table next to her comfy chair. "Hi sweetie, we were just talking about you...Fiona and me...uh huh, no, it's all been quite civil." She giggled. "We're getting our nails done, and then we're going to do some shopping."

Fiona could only imagine what Sam was saying on the other side. The conversation ended quickly, Veronica put her phone back onto the table, and turned to her.

"Their schedule got bumped back, so they won't be at Carlito's until almost two."

"Wonderful! That means more time for us to shop!"

* * *

When Veronica told Sam that she was with Fi getting her nails done, and that they were going shopping together, he didn't know what to make of it. He told Michael as they sat in the Charger waiting for the standoff to end. They followed Heinrich to this bank. He went inside, and the next thing they knew cops swarmed the place on a silent alarm. But when they converged on the area, Michael drove around looking for an alternate way out of the bank. No doubt once Heinrich got what he wanted inside, he would slip out and they would have him.

"Fi and Ronnie are together, Mike. It's kind of scary."

"I knew Fi had something up her sleeve this morning, Sam. I just didn't know what it was. She said it was 'mending fences'. I had no idea that's what she meant."

"I just hope she behaves herself and doesn't make things worse. I have to live with Ronnie, and she isn't that great to be around when she's upset." His thumb played with the gold band on his ring finger. He liked the feel of it as he adapted to the new piece of jewelry. "When she gets really mad, she likes to throw things."

Michael smiled, recalling the time Sam told him that she threw a vase at him because she thought he was cheating. That was a long time ago, and these days, she had no doubts that Sam was completely devoted to her.

"Don't worry, Fi will play nice." He sat up straighter in his seat. "Sam..." He pointed to the roof.

"Yep, I see him. Let's go." He pulled his gun and checked it before getting out.

He and Michael slipped out of the car and took up positions in the alley. Heinrich had found a way out of the bank, and he emerged from a vent on a building two doors down. The cops weren't even looking this way. Michael couldn't believe how easy this was going to be. They waited until his feet hit the pavement before coming out of hiding. Michael's shoes barely made a sound as he snuck up behind him, while Sam came out and distracted Heinrich.

"Freeze." Michael pressed the barrel of his gun into Heinrich's back as he got him into a choke hold. Sam came forward and held his gun on him from the front.

"Westen. How nice to see you. Keeping fit, I see."

"Hey, what are you guys doing?"

Michael kept his attention on Heinrich, but Sam looked down the alley. "We've got company, Mike. The cops."

Next thing they knew, they found themselves surrounded by three men in SWAT uniforms. Heinrich smiled and elbowed Michael in the ribs hard enough to get him to loosen his hold. Then he turned, kneed Michael and had him down in two moves. He picked up Michael's weapon and turned it on Sam.

He laughed. "You two thought you were so clever, didn't you. I should have shot you that night when you were lying there in the rain with that pitiful whelp. I guess I have a soft spot for blind people. But you're not blind anymore. Fair game, I say." As he spoke, Heinrich lifted his gun and aimed for Sam's heart. He needed to get this business over with and leave with the valuable item he stole from a safe deposit box within the bank. Getting rid of Westen and his friend would be the second highlight of his day.

The air around them was still, and every sound still acute in Sam's ears. When he heard the action on a sniper rifle, he quickly backpedaled. Heinrich's expression was priceless. In a fraction of a second his face registered surprise that Sam dared to move, and the second ended with his face wearing the wide eyes of disbelief as the bullet tore into him. The fake SWAT team spun and looked for the sniper, but they couldn't find him. They were now vulnerable, and Michael sprung from the pavement and took out one easily. Sam handled another, and Jesse, who came down from a building across the street, handled the third.

They hoped to tie them all up in a neat bundle, but Jesse's shot gave them attention they didn't want. Michael pressed his glasses up on his nose and said, "Let's scatter. See you later, Jesse?"

"Nope, got a hot date. See you tomorrow!" He ran through a gap between two buildings and was gone.

"Meet you back at the car, Mikey."

Michael nodded, and he found his own way out of the alley. As he passed Heinrich's body, he noted the vacant glassy eyed stare. He'd finally gotten his man.

* * *

The Charger slipped into a parking space and the two men got out. They walked down the sidewalk to Carlito's not sure what they would find when they arrived. They approached the table and noticed three things: lots of shopping bags surrounded the bare legs of two women, they wore brand new dresses, and they were both laughing hysterically.

Veronica managed to sort of recover first, and she looked up at Sam with a twinkle in her eye. "Oh, hi honey! Fiona and I have been having the greatest time! And what about you and Michael?"

"I think you could say we had a great time. Not fun, but we got what we were hunting for." He sat in the chair that Veronica cleared for him.

"You got Heinrich, Michael?" Fiona glanced at him.

"We did. He won't be helping any rogue countries get their hands on military secrets anymore. He won't be doing anything other than hanging out in a morgue."

"You say that so casually," Veronica said as she studied him with a sober expression. "I don't know if I could ever get used to that."

"You don't have to, Ronnie. Just let us worry about the bad guys, and you," he said with a smile, "You just be you, baby." He leaned over and kissed her.

"I see you two bought out the stores," Michael teased.

"Not quite. Just enough to have a totally fabulous time," Fiona responded with a grin as her eyes slid to her new friend.

Veronica mirrored her grin and they clinked glasses.

Michael watched the two interact and realized that his worst nightmare regarding these two had come true: they bonded, and now, who knew what the future held with them as friends. He knew Sam was thinking the same thing as he watched them carry on the conversation they started before the men arrived. This was the new normal, and they'd better get used to it.

Michael and Sam were well acquainted with change. They'd weather this, along with anything else that crossed their paths.


End file.
